[miningmx.com] – IMPALA Platinum (Implats) said rock drill operators
(RDOs) had decided to bring the curtain down on the six-week illegal stoppage at the
Impala Lease in Rustenburg that was characterised by violence, claimed the lives of
four individuals, and had cost the company R2bn in lost revenue.
“Today at a meeting of Implats, the NUM (the National Union of Mineworkers) and a
delegation of rock drill operators, it was agreed to call an end to the illegal work
stoppage,’ said Implats in an announcement to the JSE. “The company hopes that
this also signals the end to the violence and intimidation,’ it added.
Implats is to reinstate, with previous benefits, 15,000 employees. Given that 17,200
employees were dismissed when the strike began, it means some 2,200 jobs were
made redundant.
Implats spokesman, Johan Theron, said some had been dismissed as they had been
identified as perpetrators of the violence that had wracked the mine.
Elsewhere, the company had sought to make short work of imminent cutbacks.
“Clearly, this gives some indication that we won’t restart in all of the areas of the
mine,’ said Theron.
It wasn’t worth returning certain crews in areas of the mine that required lots of
tramming and where operations would only have continued for months, he said.
These
workers would have been redeployed to the 20 shaft project that Implats is starting.
The question as to whether more cutbacks would be enforced at the mine is a moot
one. “There are lots of variables,’ said Theron. “We are busy going through all our
planning at the mine for July 1 [the time of the business-planning process] so we
don’t know what we’ll do there.
“The return of certain contractors, possibly in a worse financial condition, may mean
we have to take some contractors on as employees.’
Implats had also employed about 400 new employees as RDOs, a position that is
becoming increasingly difficult to fill.
Market sources said that Implats had been scouring regions such as the Eastern
Cape
in an attempt to find new employees, but that many had failed medicals given the
prevalence of HIV AIDS in the region. Theron confirmed this, saying: “About 50% of
new applicants failed the medical.’
However, Implats said preference to reinstatements would be given to returning
employees on a first-come-first-served basis. “If we receive more than 15,000
applications, we will keep a recall list and as soon as opportunities become available,
those on the list will be prioritised,’ Implats said.
“The company’s main focus now will be to return to normal operations as soon as
possible. We hope to start phasing in production from Monday 5 March, following
safety inductions and medical screening for all returning employees,’ Implats said in
its announcement.
