Trade union Solidarity on Tuesday said it will participate in a consultation process with Sibanye-Stillwater with the hope of preventing retrenchments or keeping them to a minimum.
The union said this after an announcement by the mining company that it will enter into consultation with organised labour regarding the possible restructuring of its South African gold operations after ongoing losses experienced at the Beatrix 4 shaft and the affect of depleting mineral reserves on the Kloof 1 plant.
The company said consultations, in terms of section 189 of the Labour Relations Act, will consider measures to avoid and mitigate possible retrenchments and seek alternatives to the potential cessation or downscaling of operations and associated services.
The company said the proposed restructuring may potentially result in the retrenchment of up to 1,959 employees and affect 465 contractors.
Solidarity said this development meant that the affected employees face a bleak Christmas with the uncertainty of whether they will still have jobs next year.
“However, Sibanye has shown with the previous section 189 consultations regarding their Beatrix shafts and after the takeover of the Marikana mines from Lonmin, that they are investigating all alternatives to minimise the number of affected employees, and Solidarity believes that this will once again be the case,” said Gideon du Plessis, Solidarity's general secretary.
Solidarity said the 189 process will be facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration and a date for the first round of the consultation process has yet to be confirmed.
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Solidarity to engage Sibanye-Stillwater in bid to stop retrenchments
Image: ANTONIO MUCHAVE/SOWETAN
Trade union Solidarity on Tuesday said it will participate in a consultation process with Sibanye-Stillwater with the hope of preventing retrenchments or keeping them to a minimum.
The union said this after an announcement by the mining company that it will enter into consultation with organised labour regarding the possible restructuring of its South African gold operations after ongoing losses experienced at the Beatrix 4 shaft and the affect of depleting mineral reserves on the Kloof 1 plant.
The company said consultations, in terms of section 189 of the Labour Relations Act, will consider measures to avoid and mitigate possible retrenchments and seek alternatives to the potential cessation or downscaling of operations and associated services.
The company said the proposed restructuring may potentially result in the retrenchment of up to 1,959 employees and affect 465 contractors.
Solidarity said this development meant that the affected employees face a bleak Christmas with the uncertainty of whether they will still have jobs next year.
“However, Sibanye has shown with the previous section 189 consultations regarding their Beatrix shafts and after the takeover of the Marikana mines from Lonmin, that they are investigating all alternatives to minimise the number of affected employees, and Solidarity believes that this will once again be the case,” said Gideon du Plessis, Solidarity's general secretary.
Solidarity said the 189 process will be facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration and a date for the first round of the consultation process has yet to be confirmed.
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