Mine task team looks at crisis

Pretoria - A mining industry task team to investigate possible solutions relating to the global financial crisis has been established, minerals and energy director-general Sandile Nogxina said on Monday.

Speaking shortly after a meeting with industry and labour in Pretoria, Nogxina said the meeting had decided on appointing the task team, comprising members of the department, industry and labour.

"The task team has been given a timeline to go put the nuts and bolts to indicate what we need to do," he said.

National Union of Mineworkers general secretary Frans Baleni, who was present at the meeting, said the team would look at the severity of the crisis; as well as the potential job losses as a result of the crisis.

This came as several mining companies announced pending job cuts as a result of the crisis.

Baleni had hoped for a moratorium to be declared on job cuts. The meeting had agreed that "job cuts would be treated with caution and as a last resort".

Solidarity spokesperson Dirk Hermann described the crisis as "quite urgent" indicating that his union had received notices of retrenchments totalling 9 163.

Meanwhile Chamber of Mines vice-president David Noko said that a lasting solution needed to be reached.

"Industry understands it is in a crisis. We need to seek solutions."

Industry "would act responsibly" when coming to retrenchments, Noko said.

- Sapa