Trade unions on Monday called for more consultation over diamond giant De Beers’s planned retrenchment of about 1 000 workers.
The number of employees affected has grown from 963 to 1 124 out of about 7 000, said Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema. This includes 535 workers at Namaqualand mine, 389 at Kimberley mine and 200 employees at the company’s head office.
”One has to ask whether the retrenchments are really necessary or whether the company is not simply pursuing short-term profits,” said Dykema in a statement.
Dykema said De Beers should face trade unions ”candidly in consultations” and that retrenchments should be put on hold as alternative solutions are sought.
De Beers spokesperson Tom Tweedy confirmed on Monday that workers at Kimberley and Namaqualand mines and employees at head office may be affected.
National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) spokesperson Mike Fafuli said the retrenchments are ”absurd”.
”We think it’s absurd in the context of the high levels of unemployment. We still think that a proper solution can be found.”
The union is consulting its members at local level and the national leadership will use the information to engage with De Beers, he said.
Fafuli said the amount of consultation has been ”unusual”.
”De Beers should have consulted with the relevant leadership and that hasn’t happened. It seems to be a decision that is sacrosanct — a decision that is unilateral.”
Tweedy said formal notices, as required by the Labour Relations Act, have been issued at Kimberley and some at Namaqualand. No retrenchment notices have been issued at head office.
”There is a consultation process in all our mines where alternatives are investigated to lessen the impact on employees and to find alternative employment opportunities in and outside of the company, so numbers do change.”
Tweedy said there has been consultation throughout. ”There has been consultation and NUM has been consulted and were engaged. There’s always more consultation and that is encouraging.”
The retrenchments are due to some mines operating at a loss. ”In order to get into new explorations and open new mines, we’ve got to have profitable operations. This is part of that process.”
A voluntary early retirement and termination programme has been in place at Cullinan mine over the past few years with no retrenchment notices issued, he said.
The South African Communist Party earlier this month criticised the planned retrenchments at Kimberley mine. — Sapa