More job cuts expected in South Africa's mining sector

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa said on Monday that more than 36,000 jobs were under threat in the troubled industry over the next three months.

And it gets much worse ~ “More than 36,000 SA mining jobs under threat in next 3 months – https://t.co/PVZPS3EQpZ pic.twitter.com/Rad2gglpqw“

— Lionheart (@Lion_for_Truth) February 29, 2016

The announcement comes after Anglo American, one of the largest mining companies globally said it would be cutting up to 2000 jobs in two of its mines in South Africa.

More than 36 000 jobs under threat in SA mining in the next three months – trade union NUM tells Reuters. Multiply that by say, 5 dependants

— Sure Kamhunga (@SureKamhunga) February 29, 2016

The NUM said it is already facilitating talks with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) aimed at reducing the number of workers affected and to ensure fair retrenchments where they can’t be avoided. The union’s spokesperson David Sipunzi said thousands more workers maybe left jobless by the end of the year.

“Those figures were before Anglo American announced that they’re going to sell some of their assets within the country. Now that sale obviously will come with job losses as well because the new owners will want to reduce their employees,” he said.

The mining industry in Africa’s second largest economy is under pressure from sinking metal prices and soaring costs which has triggered a wave of job cuts across the sector.