National Union of Mineworkers hits back at De Beers amid retrenchment fears

National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) warns that more than 1 200 jobs could be lost when the diamond miner halts production at Venetia Mine. NUM has issued a strongly worded statement against De Beers after the diamond producer announced plans to pause production at its Venetia Mine in Limpopo for two years.

The move, affecting the country’s biggest diamond mine, includes the issuing of a Section 189A notice – threatening the livelihoods of more than 1 100 permanent employees at De Beers and a further 80 at De Beers Sightholder Sales South Africa (DBSSSA), the local arm responsible for the sale and beneficiation of rough diamonds for authorised bulk buyers.

“The NUM views this announcement as a devastating blow to workers, their families and the communities that depend on Venetia Mine and DBSSSA for survival,” the union’s diamond sector chief negotiator Masibulele Naki said on Tuesday. “In total, 1 214 workers now face retrenchment.”

Naki said NUM, the majority union at De Beers, is deeply disturbed by how management has communicated its decision, attempting to portray it as “a sudden and unavoidable crisis” when the company has long been aware of the challenges facing the diamond industry. This is part of the efforts to save cash as the miner battles against a changing market