Sibanye-Stillwater to retrench 2,000 workers

Sibanye-Stillwater spokesperson James Wellsted said the latest Section 189 process has been discussed with unions.

"The unions that represent our employees were involved in the Section 189 processes and through that consultation we were able to significantly reduce job losses.

“We're not doing this because we want to do it or taking a decision lightly.

"It's because if we continue carrying on with loss-making operations, it threatens the sustainability or viability of the other mines as well, because they've got to carry the losses and that could result in even more job losses down the track.

"What we're doing is to stop cash outflow so that we can continue mining for longer, you know, employing people, other people for longer and, you know, benefiting stakeholders, and community.”

Meanwhile, the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) spokesperson Trevor Shaku said the restructuring plan is all about profits. 

"Their admission that they are ‘restructuring … loss-making shafts’ vindicates our argument in the previous statement, where we said that Sibanye is retrenching workers solely in pursuit of profits. 

"Capitalistically, their purpose and social responsibility are owed not to job preservation or employment creation but to raking in profits, this capitalistic logic has led Sibanye-Stillwater and other firms to disrupt the livelihood of thousands of mineworkers through retrenchments callously. 

"As we have argued before, the ripple effect of these retrenchments extends beyond the affected employees, impacting entire families and communities who rely on the income of mineworkers for their sustenance," he added. 

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