The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it will be discussing the possible retrenchment of 2,000 workers from AngloGold Ashanti with the company in the hope of finding a viable alternative.
The gold mining company has announced the jobs are on the line as it plans to restructure operations.
It’s understood the potential changes will affect workers from all divisions and levels within AngloGold Ashanti.
NUM’s Livhuwani Mammburi says: “I know when we engage them they’ll say there’s all sorts of reasons why they’re retrenching. We don’t think they care about the lives of mineworkers. We’re just being dumped and left like that.”
Meanwhile, Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe says he will be meeting with the Chamber of Mines to work out a long-term plan to stop the job cuts.
Mantashe says that mining companies should consider reselling shafts they can no longer maintain instead of closing them down, resulting in massive job cuts.
