Photograph by: Kat Muick

Business Times has seen a letter Harmony sent to trade unions about a week ago, inviting them to participate in a "consultative process" because its Evander operation was "considering restructuring, which might result in the retrenchment of [2097] employees on operational requirements".

Harmony Gold chief executive Graham Briggs yesterday disputed claims of "planned" retrenchments and said his company was "going through a process of consultation with the unions".

The national executive of the National Union of Mineworkers, which is currently meeting in Johannesburg, has noted with "serious concern" that the Distressed Sector Task team formed under the guidance of the erstwhile department of Minerals and Energy has not helped reduce retrenchments.

NUM spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said the union was prepared to participate in the consultative process, but said if talks failed they would consider other moves.

"We will include our legal team in these talks because Section 189 is a legal issue. If the outcome does not favour us, we will put pressure in other ways," Seshoka said.

Trade union Solidarity spokesman Jaco Kleynhans said the union yesterday lodged an application with the labour court for an urgent interdict against DRDGold.

This comes after the company's refusal of applications by Solidarity to be involved in the Section 189 process at the group's Blyvooruitzicht mine near Carletonville.

Kleynhans said the company had until Friday to submit its opposing statement.