LMIP Working Paper: No 1
Tendai Gwatidzo and Miracle Benhura, University of the Witwatersrand
The objective of this study is to investigate wage determination issues in the mining sector that have led to episodes of recurring violent strike action. This study aims to investigate the following set of questions: How are mining wages determined? What is the percentage of wages in relation to a mining company’s total costs? How do mine workers’ wages compare to the rest of the economy? What are the pay differentials between different occupations within the mining sector? What are the skills/qualification levels of employees in the mining sector (workers, management and executives)? How do South Africa’s average wage rates per mining occupation differ from those in other mining-driven economies?
