Mining Weekly reported that according to De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. spokesperson Tom Tweedy, the company has had “numerous” meetings about the future of Kimberley Mines with South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).

The NUM has said it wasn’t consulted on the sale of Kimberley Mines to a consortium made up of Petra Diamonds Ltd. (LSE:PDL) and Ekapa Mining (Pty) Ltd., and has threatened to march on De Beers Consolidated Mines.

As quoted in the market news:

Tweedy said the company had been open and transparent about the Kimberley Mines life of mine, which comes to an end in 2018. “During the course of 2014 and 2015 the company’s management team has had numerous engagements with stakeholders, including the Kimberly Mines NUM branch,” he said.

He said since October 2014 the company has hosted at least ten engagement sessions with the union “where issues relating to Kimberley Mines’ future were raised or potentially could have been raised”.

De Beers also moved to allay NUM’s fears of job losses, saying there would be no retrenchments. “Kimberley Mines is not being closed, but sold to Ekapa Minerals as a going concern. Being sold as a going concern means that the provisions of Section 197 of the Labour Relations Act will apply.

“In terms of these provisions, all employee contracts will be transferred to the new owner on terms and conditions which on the whole are no less favourable than they currently enjoy,” Tweedy said.

Meanwhile, Tweedy on Wednesday said the sale is the best way to extend the life of the the mine beyond the anticipated closure in 2018.

Click here to read the full Mining Weekly report.

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