The National Union of Mineworkers plans to negotiate with Anglo American Platinum to prevent the company from retrenching 14,000 workers, the union said on Tuesday.
“The NUM will engage the company in a bid to save these jobs and appeals on workers to work together to safeguard their own jobs,” said NUM general secretary Frans Baleni.
Earlier, Anglo American Platinum said it could cut up to 14,000 jobs in a major restructuring at its strike-hit South African operations.
The firm would close four shafts and sell a mine considered unsustainable, reported Agence France-Presse.
“As a result of the proposed changes to the business, a total of up to 14,000 jobs may be affected, 13,000 of which will be in the Rustenburg area,” Anglo Platinum said.
The NUM said Anglo Platinum's decision to cut jobs was “shocking”.
“The NUM has repeatedly called upon workers to unite in order to defeat the evil nature of capitalism, which seeks to put profits first and humanity last,” said Baleni. - Sapa