SABC News reports that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has rejected Petra Diamond’s retrenchment notice of over 200 mineworkers in its Pretoria and Northern Cape Operations. According to the union, the company says the diamond industry is facing the longest downturn in over 30 years. It says this is driven by global economic factors such as the slowdown demand in China and the rise of lab-grown diamonds. NUM calls on the company to find other avenues to reduce costs without affecting workers.

“We received a notice from the Peter Diamond Mine on the 10th December 2024, that they are going to retrench more than 200 workers. We started our first consultation here in January on the 20th of which we stated very clearly, and as the National Union of Mineworkers, that any kind of dismissal from the National Union of Mineworkers point of view is rejected, whether it’s for operational requirements or is for any kind. Worst part is that the 200 that is retrenched by Petra Diamond is following two retrenchments that were issued by the very same company in 2024,” explains NUM Health and Safety Secretary, Masibulele Naki.

by Nothando Magudulela