The meeting will be the first between the two parties since BCL Mine announced its plans to shed 93 jobs late last month. The copper and nickel mine said its decision was influenced by the need to buoy up operational profitability. BCL said an assessment of the mine's operating costs and projected base metal prices for 2010 had forced the staff rationalisation move.
The union's delegation to today's meeting will include BMWU's Selebi-Phikwe branch and a BMWU National Executive Committee member while a three-person team will represent BCL. BMWU president Rex Tambula told Mmegi last Friday that BMWU's action plan going into the meeting would be to reduce job losses as much as possible. He said previously, the union had successfully negotiated the numbers of people BCL intended to axe downwards. Last year, the mine intended to retrench 348 people but ultimately parted ways with only 60 as the rest were either redeployed or reserved for critical skills while others opted for voluntary retirement.
