AngloGold Ashanti is in talks with unions to lay off more than 800 workers at its South African operations, a document obtained by Reuters showed on Thursday. The decision to lay off the workers comes after years of declines in output in the country due to regulatory issues. Africa’s biggest gold producer employs about 25,000 people in SA, whose vast resources are accompanied by the risk of volatile labour relations, rising costs, regulatory disruptions and dizzying shaft depths. "AngloGold Ashanti’s SA region is contemplating the dismissal of certain employees on the basis of its operational requirements," said a letter dated January 17, signed by AngloGold’s chief operating officer Chris Sheppard. The letter, addressed to union leaders and regulators, pegged the number of workers to be laid off at 849. AngloGold, which vies with Gold Fields, Harmony and Sibanye Gold in SA, declined to comment on the number of jobs at stake but said it had started talks with unions and regulators t...
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