Mining Weekly reports that trade union Solidarity on Wednesday said the mining sector’s quest for policy certainty would receive a huge boost if Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe’s proposal to withdraw the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) Amendment Bill was implemented.
Mantashe reportedly wants to withdraw the bill, which has been stuck in the National Council of Provinces for months. Solidarity general secretary Gideon du Plessis said the bill has created uncertainty in the mining sector since 2013, and that its withdrawal, as well as the proposed finalisation of the Mining Charter before the end of the year, would remove huge obstacles preventing growth in the sector. “At retrenchment consultations and wage negotiations, trade unions constantly have to hear that the low commodity prices, uncertain regulatory environment and high electricity tariffs are the reasons behind a retrenchment or a low wage increase. The removal of these regulatory restrictions will therefore be a huge boost for the industry,” Du Plessis observed.
Read this report in full at Mining Weekly
- Read Solidarity’s press statement in this regard at SA Labour News
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