AMCU: Workers can't be paid slave wages
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union, AMCU, on Thursday remained adamant that the slowing economy was no reason to keep on paying workers slave wages.
AMCU once again tabled a demand for a R12,500 basic monthly salary for workers in the platinum mining sector.
Next week the union will start talks with mining companies Lonmin, Anglo-American Platinum and Impala Platinum.
AMCU workers went on strike for almost five months during the previous wage negotiations, costing employees and companies an estimated R 30 billion in lost revenue and wages.
This could have a devastating effect on the already weak economy.
The economy is already projected to grow at the slowest rate since the 2009 recession but the union maintains a living wage for mine workers is non-negotiable.
"The South African institutionalised collective bargaining system is growingly becoming unresponsive to the needs of the workers," AMCU president Joseph Mathunjwa said.
He added that it is the lower-end workers that are suffering the most.