This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
BusinessDay reports that a total of 622 mineworkers are facing a bleak festive season and Christmas following the announcement of a retrenchment process by mining company Assmang, which is set to put its Beeshoek iron ore operation in the Northern Cape under care and maintenance at the end of November.
This has spurred the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to ask the government to intervene. NUM spokesperson Livhuwani Mammburu said the union specifically wanted the government to take immediate steps to ensure the renewal of the supply contract Beeshoek had with troubled steelmaker ArcelorMittal SA (Amsa) “or implement alternative solutions that secure continued employment for affected workers”. He pointed out that the retrenchments would have a devastating impact on the union’s members, their families, and the greater Postmansburg community.
Mammburu went on to say: “As the NEC (national executive committee), we are deeply concerned about Assmang’s approach throughout this process. We note their insistence on applying a uniform retrenchment model across different operations without recognising the unique socio-economic and operational circumstances of each site.” He said the union would stand with the affected workers and demanded that Assmang and all relevant regulatory authorities fully comply with legal, ethical, and social obligations.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Luyolo Mkentane at BusinessDay (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page