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Johannesburg - Trade Union Solidarity said on Wednesday that Lafarge Cement plans to lay off more than 13%, or close to 80 of 600 employees at its plant in Lichtenburg.
"The cement manufacturer Lafarge Cement announced yesterday in a Section 189 notice issued to the trade union Solidarity that the company wants to begin a process of laying off more than 13% of its employees at its cement plant in Lichtenburg, North West," Solidarity said.
Dirk Hermann, deputy general secretary of Solidarity, said that job losses in the construction industry rose sharply during the first half of the year as a result of the completion of large infrastructure projects and decreased activity in residential construction.
"More than 60% of the jobs that were lost in the formal sector during the first half of the year were in the manufacturing and construction industries," he said.
"In addition, employment in the formal manufacturing and construction sectors dropped by 74 000 and 54 000 respectively in the second quarter of 2010," Hermann added.
Lafarge Cement cited the shrinking of the construction industry owing to the recession and the rising cost of electricity as the reason for the planned layoffs.
The company plans to start implementing the layoffs by the end of October. The first consultation round will take place on September 10, Solidarity concluded.
"The cement manufacturer Lafarge Cement announced yesterday in a Section 189 notice issued to the trade union Solidarity that the company wants to begin a process of laying off more than 13% of its employees at its cement plant in Lichtenburg, North West," Solidarity said.
Dirk Hermann, deputy general secretary of Solidarity, said that job losses in the construction industry rose sharply during the first half of the year as a result of the completion of large infrastructure projects and decreased activity in residential construction.
"More than 60% of the jobs that were lost in the formal sector during the first half of the year were in the manufacturing and construction industries," he said.
"In addition, employment in the formal manufacturing and construction sectors dropped by 74 000 and 54 000 respectively in the second quarter of 2010," Hermann added.
Lafarge Cement cited the shrinking of the construction industry owing to the recession and the rising cost of electricity as the reason for the planned layoffs.
The company plans to start implementing the layoffs by the end of October. The first consultation round will take place on September 10, Solidarity concluded.
