[miningmx.com] – AN AGREEMENT between unions and mining companies to save jobs appeared to be unravelling, said BDLive citing comments by David Sipunzi, general-secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
Speaking following a meeting of the union’s national executive committee, Sipunzi accused mining companies to playing politics by sending a message that the African National Congress could not save jobs ahead of next year’s local elections.
“We view the practices of the companies as a political attack on the government,” said Sipunzi. “We believe that the massive retrenchments may send a message that the ANC is useless and that it can’t defend the workers,” he added.
It now appeared that South Africa’s new mines minister, Mosebenzi Zwane, may struggle to preserve an agreement in which mining companies promised to sell mines before closing them, redeploy affected employees, and improve training.
Charmane Russell, a spokeswoman for the Chamber of Mines, told BDLive, however, said the agreement did not promise a moratorium on retrenchments.
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