South African power utility Eskom and BHP Billiton coal subsidiary Ingwe Collieries have given notice they that are planning to retrench 200 and 1Â 000 workers respectively, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Monday.
Ingwe has already served the NUM with a retrenchment notice in terms of Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act.
NUM Highveld regional secretary Paris Mashego said Ingwe employs 7Â 459 people at its seven coal-mining operations and its head office.
“Ingwe’s shock announcement of an intention to retrench comes at a time when coal mining is on a high, with a contribution of about $234-million to BHP Billiton’s profits. This profit is an increase of 18,2% compared with 2003.
“Ingwe wishes to advance the same reasoning of the need to restructure in order to improve productivity and efficiency. The same restructuring that led, in 2004, to the destruction of 700 jobs,” the NUM said.
“The NUM calls upon the board of BHP Billiton, owners of Ingwe, to sell the company to South Africans. Secondly, the entire management team must be fired for failing to run the company productively and efficiently. Finally, the retrenchments must be stopped,” the union added.
Eskom has declared the retrenchments of 200 workers, who are employed at Camden, Komati and Grootvlei power stations.
“Eskom argues that these workers do not fit into their plans. Their business plans demands a highly skilled and lean workforce. All non-core activities must be outsourced,” the union said.
“Eskom must serve the union with a notice of retrenchments in terms of the LRA, to evoke a proper consultation process. It’s of greater concern that Eskom, a state institution, intends retrenching when government pronouncements and actions are towards job retention and job creation. The ministry of public enterprise needs to intervene in this,” the NUM added. — I-Net Bridge