The blind leading the blind?

Amcu’s and the lonmin workers’ demand for a 100% wage hike is unreasonable. This is because never in the history of mining or union bargaining has a worker’s union achieved this record high demand; also a pay hike of this magnitude would just lead to mine closures and  job losses.

  Amcu had erred by misleading and setting unrealistic expectations in the minds of its members and this could work to their demise. This is because as a mining union  that is for and represents the needs of its members, Amcu should have been upfront , honest and created an understanding of the illogicality of their the demands and the improbability that those demands  will be met-ever.

Therefore as a union that is well versed and boasts years' negotiation experience Amcu is in a better position to lead from the front and hammer home the fact that higher salaries will lead to the industry’s demand for higher competency and higher competency will mean that either the productivity gets higher or mines will have to shed jobs.