Coal employers ditch centralised wage bargaining

Employers in the coal industry have withdrawn from the centralised bargaining process under the auspices of the Minerals Council SA, informing trade unions that wages will be negotiated at company level in the future.

Centralised bargaining in coal and gold mining has been a key feature of SA’s industrial relations architecture for decades, predating the existence of many of today’s trade unions. It has been closely guarded by workers who regard unity as their strongest weapon.