Important recommendations should soon be made as a result of the evidence presented at the investigation into the explosion at Sasol’s Secunda ethylene plant in September last year, trade union Solidarity said on Thursday. Evidence presented at the inquiry showed that deficiencies existed in Sasol’s safety systems, the union added.
Thirteen people were injured at Samancor Chrome’s Middelburg Ferrochrome smelter on Wednesday morning following an accident that resulted from a sudden release of hot gases from an arc furnace. "Our employees’ care is now in the hands of the doctors and medical staff," said Samancor Chrome CEO Jurgen Schalamon.
World number four gold-miner Gold Fields on Thursday reported net earnings per share of 47 cents for the June quarter, up from 26 cents in the March quarter. For the year ended June, net earnings per share amounted to 92 cents from 121 cents for the year to the end of June 2004.
Global resources group Rio Tinto on Wednesday announced a 35% increase in its interim earnings per share to 157,6 United States cents from 116,8 US cents in the 2004 interim period. First-half net earnings were $2,165-billion, up from $1,611-billion in the first half of last year.
South Africa’s gold-mining sector faces its first sectorwide strike in 18 years from Sunday after the National Union of Mineworkers on Tuesday received a strike notice from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration. The last time that South Africa’s gold mines had a sectorwide strike was in 1987.
South African oil and chemicals group Sasol on Monday announced that it is considering the disposal of its Olefins and Surfactants business, excluding its co-monomers activities, in South Africa. Sasol acquired Condea in 2001 from German-based RWE Dea. Most of the Condea business was subsequently hosted in Sasol Olefins and Surfactants.
Canadian mining group Thistle Mining on Friday confirmed that it has issued a Section 189A notice of restructuring, at its President Steyn operation in the Free State, to the registered unions at the mine. The Section 189A notice also includes a notice to defer wage negotiations.
The next empowerment deal that South Africa’s largest food group, Tiger Brands, does will be broad-based and the empowerment parties involved will have to add value, with a possible grouping being communities near the group’s operations, Tiger Brands chief executive Nick Dennis said on Thursday.
South Africa’s third-largest gold-miner, Harmony Gold, experienced 29 fatalities during its 2005 financial year, from 42 in the previous year, Harmony spokesperson Vusi Magadana said on Monday. The group’s best fatality record was 25 fatalities, achieved in the group’s 2003 and 2001 years.
Junior miner Aflease Gold and Uranium Resources (Aflease) and Southern Cross Resources on Tuesday announced that they have signed a definitive pre-merger agreement providing for the merger of the two companies. The combination is being done "at-market" based on the recent trading of both companies.