The National Union of Mineworkers says about 10 000 jobs have been lost in the mining industry since the beginning of the year.
Deputy secretary Tshimane Montoedi says there are approximately 30 companies that have issued NUM with a Section 189 notification, with a minimum of between 15 000 and 20 000 jobs to be lost as per these companies calculations.
He said Glencore’s Optimum Coal mine planned to retrenchment more than 1 000 employees this weekend and that Anglo American Platinum retrenched 474 workers at its operations in Rustenburg, North West, last month.
Lonmin was also consulting its workers and unions with its plan to cut 3 500 jobs at its Marikana operation.
The union said between 2012 and 2014, more than 35 000 jobs were shed in the mining industry, with the majority of these in the platinum and gold sector.
