JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – With thousands of mineworkers facing possible retrenchment in South Africa’s pressurised mining sector, the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) on Friday vowed to fight the mass job cuts resulting from companies trimming costs.

More than ever, mining companies, in an attempt to cut costs to ride out challenging economic storms and support competitiveness and sustainability, have been issuing Section 189 notices in terms of the Labour Relations Act to retrench workers.

The industry was on the verge of cutting some 32 000-plus jobs, while companies had previously been accused of not undertaking sufficient consultation and just ticking the boxes.

“AMCU is worried about the contemplated retrenchments in the industry, sector and economy as a whole. As a union, we are opposed to this strategy, which uses worker retrenchments as canon fodder for profits and shareholder interests,” said president Joseph Mathunjwa at a media briefing in Sandton.

“We support all progressive forces in working together to find lasting solutions that will prevent this scourge of profiteering. We further encourage debates on the structural challenges in our economy . . . from neoliberal economics to wage-led models supported by diversification, beneficiation and industrialisation,” he added.

AMCU said it had celebrated job-saving successes to date, following a reduction in the number of retrenchments at embattled Lonmin and Impala Platinum (Implats) after discussions on Section 189 processes.

Lonmin had planned to retrench 4 500 of its full-time employees and 1 500 contractors – a number that was reduced through the reskilling and redeployment of workers and the offering of voluntary severance packages (VSPs), which 2 979 workers accepted.

Of the 1 600 employees affected at Implats, 900 workers were redeployed and 50 others reskilled. The remainder were retrenched or took up VSPs.

“We, as AMCU, will continue to fight to save jobs and ensure a decent living wage. Retrenchments are a result of capitalists trying to make profits at the expense of workers,” Mathunjwa commented, noting that the union would engage and consult companies, and if no amicable outcomes were reached, and avoidance measures implemented, the union would protest.

His comments come as some 510 jobs were set to be cut through Sibanye Gold’s acquisition of Rustenburg Platinum Mines, and 14 jobs were set to be cut through its acquisition of Aquarius Platinum, after obtaining the green light from the Competition Tribunal to buy out the platinum assets this week. Sibanye was set to change its name to Sibanye Resources.