Africa’s largest steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa has announced that it has reached a wage agreement with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) that brings an end to the two-week long wage dispute and strike action. NUMSA members at ArcelorMittal South Africa’s plants started a strike on May 11 for better wages and working conditions. The workers were demanding a 10 percent increase in their salaries.
The agreement, which will be backdated to April 1, 2022, and applies to all bargaining unit employees, is made up of a 6.5 percent increase on all remuneration elements, plus a ZAR 5,000 once-off ex-gratia payment.