State must take up the burden of protecting lost mining jobs
Increased mechanisation and automation means SA’s number one job-creator of the past two centuries is losing top spot
These are trying times in the SA mining sector, and particularly for the platinum industry. Minerals Council SA has estimated that 90,000 of 168,000 jobs — 54% of the platinum’s sector’s employment — are at risk.
After Sibanye-Stillwater announced plans to cut 5,270 jobs from the mines it acquired from Lonmin, mineral resources & energy minister Gwede Mantashe criticised the mining sector’s plan to implement large-scale retrenchments amid a struggling economy. In the second quarter alone, 36,000 mining jobs were lost. The question arises — should companies bear the burden of protecting unprofitable jobs, or should the government bear the burden of protecting the people?..
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