Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has relented on its long-standing proposal to cut up to 14 000 jobs at the group’s Rustenburg operations, but its revised proposition of 6 000 redundancies has only succeeded in making both the unions and the markets unhappy.
South Africa’s mining chief executives, for the most part, paid themselves handsome salaries last year, raising the chagrin of trade unions who say the very same companies are likely to plead poverty during the course of looming wage negotiations.
Big challenges in the offing as Amsa’s chief executive paints sombre picture of industry’s position.
Dormant plans to establish a local biofuel sector – earmarked to create up to 50 000 jobs and save the country at least R8.9 billion in foreign exchange payments – could be given a new lease on life before year-end when government hopes to have financial incentives for prospective producers in place.
The fifth iteration of the IndustrialPolicyActionPlan (Ipap), which was launched on Thursday, covers specific action plans to spur industrial growth and reduce unemployment until 2016.
It is now up to the energy regulator to decide whether South Africans would be relieved from a long-term power-supply deal between Eskom and BHP Billiton.
Eskom has finalised its revised tariff-increase structures, which will come into effect next month, yet many households could still face a bigger increase than the 8% average approved by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa).
The decision by the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) to slash Eskom’s requested revenue by more than R180 billion over the next five years came after the regulatory body found an array of inflated cost bases and wrongful assumptions in the power utility’s application for tariff increases.
Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has signed a recognition agreement with the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
South Africa’s mines remain prone to more violent flare-ups as unions and companies scramble to give effect to a peace accord brokered by government this week – a process abandoned at the last minute by the newly dominant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu).
The Marikana massacre and the subsequent wave of strikes across the mining sector have made many mining houses think again about the wellbeing of their workers and relationships with communities as they come to grips with the link between their own survival and buy-in from stakeholders.
Union is no longer the choice of default for the majority of South Africa’s miners, writes Andre Janse van Vuuren
@City_Press: RT @gaylemahala: #womendialogue Mukoki: "Just because the door is bigger you shouldn't be afraid to knock on it." Fine concluding words@City_Press: RT @gaylemahala: #womendialogue Isa: "Find a space and time to allow yourself to be vulnerable..."@City_Press: RT @gaylemahala: #womendialogue Isa on time management: "Be jealous of your time. Define what the outcome of the meeting should be."@City_Press: RT @gaylemahala: #womendialogue Isa: "There is no formula for business success... Especially if you are being innovative"@City_Press: RT @gaylemahala: #womendialogue Got any questions for the panel about your challenges as a woman entrepreneur?
