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Moneyweb reports that according Neal Froneman, vice president of the Chamber of Mines (COM), without adequate innovation, research and development, the SA mining industry could see job losses of as many as 200,000 by 2025.
“Taking into account the multiplier effect (which includes the loss of jobs downstream and those dependent on the income), this could affect as many as two million people,” said Froneman, who was speaking at a COM briefing on Wednesday. Job losses in the mining sector have been a function of rising costs and lower productivity and SA’s mines have endured a trend of lower productivity for some years, but not for reasons one might think. “Our labour is working as hard as they ever have. Rather, the problem relates to the depth of our mines. In many cases, workers are traveling for as long as two hours to get to the stope face,” Froneman pointed out. He went on to argue that successful modernisation with mechanisation has the potential to create a substantial number of sustainable jobs and more than offset the inevitable continuing decline if mining continued as it was doing. The intention is to introduce required technology in a people-centric manner.
- Read this report by Warren Thompson in full at Moneyweb
- Read too, New mining method needed to boost mine life, says Froneman, at Mining Weekly
- And also, Machines 'can save mine jobs', at eNCA
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page