Some 4,100 South African miners are expected to lose their jobs soon following the closure of six old platinum mines that are no longer viable. The layoff plan was announced by Lonmin, the world's third largest platinum producer. But these dismissals raise fears of tensions in South Africa.

Lonmin ultimately wants to lay off more than 12,000 miners in the South African platinum basin. This is precisely where the Marikana mine is located, which had seen the death of 34 strikers demanding a rise in their wages in 2012. At the time, it was already Lonmin who was at the center of all attention because Cyril Ramaphosa was one of the directors of the Lonmin company and had then asked the authorities to put an end to the Marikana strike by “all means”.

Today, Lonmin is in the process of being taken over by another company, Sibanye Stillwater, which wants to eliminate a significant number of jobs in the South African platinum basin, 12,600 in three years precisely.

The standoff is launched with the unions, and more particularly AMCU, the second in the country. AMCU is something of a pet peeve of mining companies and the South African government. The proof with the recent organization of a strike which will have lasted more than 5 months in a gold mine. It ended last month, with the key to a salary increase.

The government threatened to ban AMCU via an action in Parliament. The union has 200,000 members in South Africa. “A political attack”, according to its leader. And according to the opposition party EFF, it is a way of redirecting miners to the majority union, NUM, which is loyal to the government because its creator is none other than Cyril Ramaphosa.

MAY 22, 2019

>