The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) joins its militant affiliate, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), as it condemns the decision of De Beers to halt production for two years at Venetia Mine in Limpopo, and issue a Section 189A notice threatening the livelihoods of 1214 workers.
NUM is fuming at De Beers’ portrayal of the decision to pause production as a sudden and unavoidable crisis, when the company has long been aware of the challenges facing the diamond industry including depressed prices and rising demand for synthetic diamonds.
De Beers claims the move to pause production is part of a wider effort to cut costs and reassess capital expenditure amid a global slump in the diamond industry. But NUM is adamant that workers cannot be treated as expandable and discarded whenever companies face economic pressures.
Section 189A of the Labour Relations Act compels employers to genuinely engage in consultations to find alternatives to job losses and not merely resort to retrenchment.
COSATU reiterates the alternatives NUM has put forward for consideration including retraining and upskilling workers, decreasing non-essential expenses along with a comprehensive review of executive and management costs.
South Africa’s unemployment rate is already dangerously high at 43.7%, we therefore cannot afford to lose a single job. Moreover, the unemployment rate in Limpopo is even higher than the national rate at 47%. Worryingly, the impact of the halted production will extend beyond workers and their families and will also harm the economy of Musina and surrounding areas.
COSATU amplifies NUM’s call for all stakeholders including including the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Department of Employment and Labour, De Beers, other sector trade unions to engage with NUM to devise means to save jobs and mitigate the economic damage that will be caused by this decision.
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (COSATU Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zaneles@cosatu.org.za
Source: https://cosatu.org.za/cosatu-calls-for-venetia-mine-jobs/