By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Sibanye-Stillwater has announced restructuring and closure plans that could affect more than 4 000 employees and contractors, the mining firm said on Wednesday.
Sibanye is one of the world’s biggest PGM producers, with Anglo American Platinum, Impala Platinum and Northam Platinum.
The mining and metals processing giant says it has entered Section 189 consultations regarding four shafts and associated services at its Platinum Group Metal (PGM) operations in South Africa.
The four shafts include the Simunye shaft at its Kroondal operation in the North West. Mining there ceased during Quarter 4 of 2022 as planned, Sibanye notes in a statement.
“Employees who have not yet been deployed to other shafts and are impacted by the final closure will be consulted in terms of the S189 process.”
Then there are two shafts affected at Marikana, and one at Sibanye’s Rustenburg operation.
Last month, Sibanye Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman said that job cuts had become inevitable in the platinum mining sector due to the decline in the prices of the precious metals.
Sibanye’s announcement follows the initiation of retrenchment processes at some of the country’s largest miners, including Anglo American and Glencore.
Anglo American has begun cutting jobs at its head office in South Africa, following reports of other mining giants issuing retrenchment notices as Transnet’s deteriorating performance weighs on their operations.
The focus will be on corporate positions after the company split its business into two regional divisions earlier this year, one covering the Americas and Africa and the other Australia.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said that 181 notices were sent to Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore unit staff warning they could lose their jobs.
Glencore began a retrenchment process at its iMpunzi coal complex in Mpumalanga, which has 1,138 permanent employees.