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The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources is dismayed by reports that Implats, the largest platinum mining company, is retrenching 474 employees.   

“We believe that this move is digressing from the government’s efforts to create jobs and fight poverty and inequality. Although we understand that the company has been contemplating on restructuring since 2013, we do not agree that retrenchment could be the only solution,” said Mr Sahlulele Luzipo, Chaiperson of the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources.

Implats announced that following its restructuring plan, which was met with wide criticism from various stakeholders within the mining sector since 2013, it could only find permanent positions for 774 employees out of 1248 who were initially targeted for retrenchment.

Mr Luzipo reiterates a call to Implats management to further engage with relevant role players within the sector, including the Committee in order to share their challenges and work out a plan on how the Committee can assist to avert this unfortunate occurrence. It is also unfortunate that this move comes on the eve of the Workers Day, whereby all workers around the country should unite and celebrate.

Again, in the recent past weeks the country has experienced sporadic xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, which apart from being pure acts of criminality, are also linked to unemployment and social inequalities.  It is against this backdrop that the Committee will discourage any company in the mining sector from retrenching its employees.

Issued by The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources