Employment

G4:

G4-10
Composition of the workforce
G4-LA1
Total number and rates of new employee hires and employee turnover by age group, gender, and region

Key features

  • In total, 5,810 people left the Group in 2013; only 39 of these separations were not voluntary
  • Employment of 23,431 (65%) people from local communities in 2013
  • 30% of employees drawn from neighbouring countries

Targets and objectives for 2014

To promote diversity and equal opportunity, Sibanye focuses on attracting, retaining and developing HDSAs and women. The Group has implemented a strategy to attract and retain key employees, specifically in scarce and critical skills – recruitment initiatives focus on attracting locally recruited employees, particularly from the communities surrounding the areas in which Sibanye operates and to increase the number of employees from local communities.

Employee turnover for the Group was 10% in 2013. Refocusing of the business and restructuring of operations to align with longer-term sustainable production levels resulted in a reduction of the total number of employees by 5,810 people. This reduction was largely achieved through voluntary separations, voluntary early retirement, redeployment and natural attrition, with only 39 employees retrenched from the Group. Removing two layers of management was an important focus of the restructuring, bringing expertise and experience as close to the rock face as possible.

Minimum notice periods in respect of organisational changes are prescribed by law and recognition agreements. Sibanye embarked on two Section 189 processes in 2013 at the Beatrix Operation and at Shared Services. In line with the following process (a Section 189 process is provided for in South African labour legislation where restructuring affects labour; a 60-day consultation period is provided for):

  • A business case was compiled and approved by the Exco.
  • Section 189 notice letters were dispatched to all stakeholders, inviting them to participate in the processes.
  • An application to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to facilitate the process was also dispatched and the commissioner facilitated the process.
  • Avoidance measures and retrenchment agreements were finally signed.

As far as it is possible, Sibanye seeks to employ locals at its operations, and – as at the end of 2013 – 25% of employees could be defined as local (that is, drawn from within the province of operation) (2012:33.1%). That said, a large percentage of employees with core skills, experience and many years of loyal service are drawn from other provinces in South Africa and neighbouring countries (often called labour sending areas).

Employees at year end
  2012 2013
  Permanent employees Contractors Total Permanent employees Contractors Total
Beatrix 8,841 929 9,770 7,963 565 8,528
Driefontein 13,376 1,227 14,603 11,860 775 12,635
Kloof 12,011 986 12,997 10,469 766 11,235
Corporate office 173 0 173 248 0 248
Other 3,708 833 4,541 3,628 0 3,628
Total 38,109 3,975 42,084 33,773 2,501 36,274
Employee origin by region and country
  Percentage (%)
South Africa 69.5
Eastern Cape 26.7
Gauteng 14.7
Free State 10.3
KwaZulu-Natal 9.7
North West 3.3
Limpopo 2.4
Mpumalanga 2.0
Western Cape 0.2
Northern Cape 0.2
Lesotho 13.9
Mozambique 12.1
Swaziland 3.3
Botswana 1.4
Employees hired (2013)
  Gender (%) Age
  Male Female <30 30-50 >50
Beatrix 23 4 12 14 1
Driefontein 32 9 12 27 2
Kloof 17 2 4 13 2
Employee hire rate (2013)
  Gender (%) Age
  Male Female <30 30-50 >50
Beatrix 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.0
Driefontein 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0
Kloof 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0