A VEIL of secrecy hangs over the agenda of a consultation meeting in which the government, labour and the mining sector will discuss Anglo Platinum's plans to retrench up to 14000 workers.
The government yesterday refused to reveal details of the meeting and the Chamber of Mines, which represents large mining firms, said it had yet to be invited to the meeting
Labour unions, the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction (Amcu) were also tight-lipped about their position.
"We can't comment. It will be as if we are negotiating in bad faith if we announce the position we will be taking in the meeting," Department of Mineral Resources spokesman Zingaphi Jakuja said.
Chamber of Mines spokesman Vusi Mabena said the organisation could not make its views public because it had not received a invitation or an agenda from the government.
"We only read and heard about the meeting in the media but we have not been informed officially," he said, adding that the organisation would only respond to media queries after it has seen the agenda.
Amcu spokesman Jimmy Gama said his union had to consult its members before outlining the union's position on the matter.
He said Amcu suspected that mining companies were using threats of retrenchment to intimidate workers where his organisation had made membership inroads.
"We find it very strange that Amplats announced its plans for restructuring after Amcu's growth," Gama said.
"We submitted the names of 8000 new members in December and another 5000 in January and the next thing we hear is that there are retrenchments."
Gama also accused Harmony of similar tactics.
"They are using scare tactics to send a message to workers that if they join Amcu they risk losing their jobs," Gama said.
Num spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said the union would enter the talks with the sole objective of saving jobs.
Amplats talks hushed up
A VEIL of secrecy hangs over the agenda of a consultation meeting in which the government, labour and the mining sector will discuss Anglo Platinum's plans to retrench up to 14000 workers.
The government yesterday refused to reveal details of the meeting and the Chamber of Mines, which represents large mining firms, said it had yet to be invited to the meeting
Labour unions, the National Union of Mineworkers (Num) and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction (Amcu) were also tight-lipped about their position.
"We can't comment. It will be as if we are negotiating in bad faith if we announce the position we will be taking in the meeting," Department of Mineral Resources spokesman Zingaphi Jakuja said.
Chamber of Mines spokesman Vusi Mabena said the organisation could not make its views public because it had not received a invitation or an agenda from the government.
"We only read and heard about the meeting in the media but we have not been informed officially," he said, adding that the organisation would only respond to media queries after it has seen the agenda.
Amcu spokesman Jimmy Gama said his union had to consult its members before outlining the union's position on the matter.
He said Amcu suspected that mining companies were using threats of retrenchment to intimidate workers where his organisation had made membership inroads.
"We find it very strange that Amplats announced its plans for restructuring after Amcu's growth," Gama said.
"We submitted the names of 8000 new members in December and another 5000 in January and the next thing we hear is that there are retrenchments."
Gama also accused Harmony of similar tactics.
"They are using scare tactics to send a message to workers that if they join Amcu they risk losing their jobs," Gama said.
Num spokesman Lesiba Seshoka said the union would enter the talks with the sole objective of saving jobs.
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