The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has rejected Sibanye Gold’s takeover of Anglo American Platinum’s Rustenburg operations, saying it would open the floodgates for job cuts.  

The union’s disquiet comes after the Department of Mineral Resources granted consent for the R4.5 billion deal, which was announced last year.  Livhuwani Mammburu, NUM’s spokesman, said there was nothing to celebrate in the consent.  He claimed that Sibanye’s CE, Neal Froneman, was likely to issue a ‘section 189’ notice, signalling retrenchments.  “As the NUM, we know him as Mr Retrenchments, not Mr Fix-it.  Froneman, makes profits by focusing on retrenchments,” Mammburu stated.  Sibanye spokesman James Wellsted said NUM should not worry and added:  "There are overlaps in the senior management positions of the company's gold and platinum operations and 514 [workers] will possibly face retrenchment.  However, the retrenchments will not be in the category where [NUM members] are represented."

• Based on reports at Business Report and TimesLive

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