The NUM-YS calls on AngloGold Ashanti Chairperson to stop retrenchments at his company

NUM Press Statement,  29 June  2017

The National Union of Mineworkers Youth Structure (NUM-YS) calls on AngloGold Ashanti Chairman Sipho Pityana to stop the retrenchments of 8 500 workers by the company in its South African operations. This man who is also the Chairperson of  Save South Africa Campaign has been spending more time and energy trying to remove President Jacob Zuma than saving jobs at AngloGold Ashanti.

"The retrenchments are happening under his leadership at the company. This company does not care about job creation in the mining industry. He has become a joke and sellout. He has dismally failed to stop these retrenchments at the company," said Bonginkosi Mrasi, NUM-YS National Secretary.

The decision to retrench such a high number of workers is premature and unnecessary at this juncture because of the current economic situation of the country and furthermore, the company must start to engage with future forums to get solutions.

The NUM-YS is of the view that AngloGold Ashanti must align Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act with Section 52 of MPRDA Act which states that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) must get involved if the company anticipate retrenching 10 percent or more employees. 

"We know that this process will mainly target young people in particular as they will be the first employees to be kicked out through  Last In, First Out (LIFO) criteria and this will increase the unemployment rate hovering at 27.7% in a country where the majority are youths," Mrasi said. 

"We support the view of our main structure to fight nail and tooth this behavior from AngloGold Ashanti and as the NUM-YS we will take our fight to them as we will roll out a mass action within no time," he concluded. 

For more information, please contact:

Bonginkosi Mrasi: NUM-YS National Secretary: 064 758 0661/078 188 4300

Livhuwani Mammburu : NUM National Spokesperson: 083 809 3257

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