Implats
Numsa warns of resumption of strike action if wage talks with Implats fail
Some 4,000 workers at mining companies Reagetswe, Triple-M, and Newrak went on strike last Monday.
Hundreds of Numsa-affiliated mineworkers gathered near Impala Platinum Mine in Freedom Park near Rustenburg on the second day of an indefinite strike over alleged exploitation of workers at three companies contracted to supply services to the mine. #NumsaStrike
The charges were initially filed by the state in April for alleged contraventions of the country's COVID-19 lockdown restrictions by impala’s Rustenburg division.
The number of positive coronavirus cases confirmed within the sector so far suggests the spread is not easing, with 1,559 active cases at the last count, while 1,166 workers have recovered.
The decision to shut down the mine, for now, was taken at the weekend after the cluster of infections was identified.
Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba said contract tracing has begun, while it’s still not clear if the mine will halt operations.
Implats said in its quarterly update that it expects annual refined production of between 2.6 million and 2.9 million ounces this year, compared with previous guidance of between 3 million and 3.4 million ounces.
Two miners at Impala's Rustenburg mine said they were only paid until 17 April, which was the day they received SMSes from CEO Mark Munroe to return to work.
Munroe, who was released on R60,000 bail on Friday, is alleged to have contravened the lockdown regulations by calling workers including non-essential staff to return to work this week.
He allegedly called workers back for operations, including non-essential operations.
Implats said that it would continue operating its number 12 and 14 shafts for the foreseeable future, securing 10,000 jobs, and would then continue to mine 1 shaft for its remaining life of three years, securing 2,500 jobs.
Improved operational performance will also help headline earnings per share to bounce back in the year ended 30 June from a loss of 171 cents in the previous year.
Implats plans to trim staff by about a third - more than 13,000 jobs - over two years at its labour-intensive, conventional operations in the Rustenburg platinum belt.
Joseph Mathunjwa warned last week of unspecified industrial action by his Amcu at Implats over its plans to cut around a third of its workforce, in a bid to return to profits in the face of depressed prices and soaring costs.
Amcu held a briefing on Tuesday following an announcement last week that the platinum producer plans to cut around 13,000 jobs over the next two years.
Amcu has accused the government of being a capitalist state and making it easy for mining bosses to abuse their employees.
Impala Platinum announced its plans to will slash 13,000 jobs over the next two years as it grapples with rising costs and weak prices for the precious metal.
Implats announced earlier on Thursday that about 13,000 jobs are on the line as it embarks on a restructuring process.
South Africa’s platinum industry is grappling with rising costs and weak prices for the precious metal.