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Sibanye could cut 4,000 jobs as it reorganizes gold operations

Diversified miner Sibanye Stillwater's planned restructuring of its South African gold operations could cut 4,022 tasks, the South African company said on Thursday, with unions promising to eliminate the layoffs.

In a declaration, the company, which suffered an annual loss of $2 billion in 2023 from a slump in metal prices, stated the restructuring was meant to stem losses at its Beatrix 1 shaft, which has actually not delivered planned production.

There will also be job losses at its Kloof 2 plant, which has had inadequate processing product after the Kloof 4 shaft was closed in 2023, it added.

The suggested restructuring of the operations and services could possibly impact 3,107 employees and 915 specialists, Sibanye said.

The miner, South Africa's biggest mining sector employer, is also cutting some administrative jobs as it gets used to the lowered mining headcount group-wide.

The business would continue to act wisely to safeguard the balance sheet and guarantee the sustainability of the group, Chief Executive Neal Froneman added in the statement.

Sibanye's strategies to lay off workers are subject to consultations with trade unions, in regards to South Africa's. labour laws.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) described Sibanye's. proposed job cuts as shocking capitalist barbarism and called. on Sibanye's leading management to resign.

It is extremely stunning in the sense that the gold price is. high, NUM, South Africa's biggest mineworker union, said in a. declaration. We are also questioning the timing of this. statement, particularly as we are about to enter into wage. settlements with the company.

Another union, Solidarity, stated it would oppose the planned. job cuts.

Solidarity will do everything in its power to safeguard its. members' jobs, it said in a separate declaration.

Sibanye has already cut about 2,000 jobs at its platinum. group metal (PGM) operations following the restructure of. loss-making shafts after metal costs fell greatly last year.

Last year, it reported problems of $2.6 billion at its. U.S. palladium mines, a nickel operation in France and a gold. mine in South Africa, traced in part to the fall in metal rates. and an unsure outlook.