South African Gold Fields Facing Strikes at the Continent’s LargestMines

Gold Fields Facing Strikes at Africa’s Largest Mines

By Ron Derby

Nov. 11 (Bloomberg) — Gold Fields Ltd. is facing a strike by 45,000 workers across all its operations, including Africa’s two largest gold mines, should a dispute over recruitment fail to be resolved, a labor union said.

“We have today taken a certificate that allows us to strike,” said Kenneth Bhuda, a coordinator for the National Union of Mineworkers, in an e-mailed statement. Labor unions in South Africa must seek a certificate from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration permitting them to take strike action.

Gold Fields operates Driefontein and Kloof, the biggest gold mines on the continent, which are located in the Witwatersrand area west of Johannesburg.

The company’s recruitment system is a barrier to employment for new recruits and employees coming back from annual and maternity leave, Bhuda said.

No strike notice has been issued, Gold Fields spokesman Julian Gwillim said in an e-mailed response to questions from Bloomberg News. “We are confident that a process of dialogue should be able to resolve this issue,” Gwillim said.

Gold Fields, Africa’s second-largest miner of the metal after AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., rose 1.70 rand, or 1.6 percent, to 109 rand in Johannesburg trading, valuing the company at 81.9 billion rand ($11.2 billion).

To contact the reporter on this story: Ron Derby in Johannesburg at rderby1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 11, 2009 12:10 EST

NUM may strike over Gold Fields’ assessment system

Business Day
Published: 2009/11/11 03:19:04 PM

THE National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) today warned that a strike was looming at Gold Fields (GFI) over the way it assesses potential employees.

The trade union said it has taken a certificate of non-resolution at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), which would culminate in over 45,000 workers across Gold Fields operations going on strike.

It said the dispute was over a recruitment assessment method called Functional Work Capacity, which the trade union says has proved to be a barrier to employment for new recruits and employees coming back from annual and maternity leave.

“The method has been implemented unilaterally and it has seen many people falling to get employment or re-appointed at Gold Fields,” said Keneth Bhuda, NUM Mining House coordinator.

The NUM is demanding that the system be scrapped and that the old physical testing and acclimatisation method be reinstated.

Malema’s mines bid fails

By CARIEN DU PLESSIS
Business Report

ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema has been sent back to the drawing board after he tried to force a debate on nationalising the country’s mines at the ANC’s national executive committee at the weekend.

Malema was told to follow correct channels and put the youth league’s ideas in writing before they could be discussed by ruling party structures, ANC spokesman and NEC member Jackson Mthembu said on Monday.

“Our understanding is that the youth league should go and prepare a document, and let us interact with this discussion document,” Mthembu said.

“It must start at the (ANC’s) economic transformation committee and we must get the pros and cons of (the nationalisation of mines). (We must ask ourselves) is it okay from reading the document, does it make sense?”

“And then the economic transformation committee, which the youth league is part of, will bring such a discussion to the NEC and the NEC might then request that such a call go to the national general council (set to take place in September next year).”

Mthembu said the national general council would discuss the matter only if the NEC deemed it fit for discussion.

ANC spokesman Floyd Shivambu said on Monday that the youth league had already compiled a rough draft of the proposal.

The youth league had already raised the matter with the ANC’s economic transformation committee and would develop a “national perspective paper” for the ANC’s national general council.

Last week, ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa said nationalisation was neither ANC nor government policy, while secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said the youth league’s “shotgun approach” to the debate was not going to work.

Published on the web by Business Report on November 10, 2009.

SA’s factory output decline slows, worst over

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Nov 10 2009 15:00

South Africa’s factory output shrunk by less than expected in September, indicating the sector was on the mend although a recovery was expected to be slow.

Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday manufacturing output shrunk by 11,4% year-on-year in volume terms in September compared with a revised 15,2% contraction in August. A Reuters poll showed analysts expected a 13% fall.

On a monthly basis, factory production rose by a better-than-forecast seasonally adjusted 3,1% in September compared with forecasts of a 0,9% rise.

Output was up 2,6% in the three months to September.

“This is confirmation that we probably have seen the worst in the current slump. The PMI numbers have been signalling that we’re heading towards some improvement,” said Monale Ratsoma, economist at Thebe Securities.

The purchasing managers’ index climbed to 45,9 in September and hit a one-and-a-half year high of 47,6 in October, inching closer to the 50 break-even mark.

Ratsoma said manufacturing output on an annual basis would likely continue to fall but at a slower pace and could start turning positive in the middle of next year.

The sector is the second biggest in the economy, contributing about 14% to GDP. It has been hard hit by the global economic downturn and helped drag the local economy into its first recession in 17 years.

Nedbank economist Johannes Khosa said although the manufacturing data indicated the worst of the recession was over, demand-side indicators were showing the economy was still weak, supporting the case for an interest-rate cut next week.

“Other indicators, like retail sales, credit numbers, still reflect that the economy, in general, is still weak. So based on that, and lower inflation, we still expect that the Reserve Bank may opt to cut rates again at next week’s meeting.”

The central bank’s monetary policy meeting will meet from Monday, with the decision due on Tuesday. — Reuters

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-11-10-sas-factory-output-decline-slows-worst-over

DRDGold to seek judicial order for struggling mine

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Nov 09 2009 13:04

DRDGold said on Monday it would seek a high court order to place its troubled Blyvoor mine under judicial management to save it from liquidation.

DRDGold said the move had been prompted by the operation’s continued losses, which had now reached R27-million a month, as well as extensive damage to higher-grade underground production areas caused by seismic activity in May.

Chief executive Niel Pretorius also said the mine’s situation had been worsened by a recent four-week strike by workers over pay and power utility Eskom’s higher winter tariffs, compounded by a 32% increase in July.

“We now need a rescue plan that holds real promise of saving Blyvoor from insolvency,” Pretorius said in a statement.

“Judicial management is the only appropriate course of action for us to take in the face of the combined negative impact of circumstances beyond the control of the board of directors and management.”

He said the company had spent R75-million over the past three months to try to save the operation.

Under judicial management, the High Court of South Africa would appoint a judicial manager who would seek to save the struggling mine through a number of actions.

“These could, for example, include giving certain creditors temporary preference over others and agreeing compromises with creditors without the risk of committing an act of insolvency and thereby exposing the mine to liquidation,” the company said.

It expected the mine to remain under judicial management until the high-grade production areas that were closed due to seismic activity were reopened. — Reuters

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-11-09-drdgold-to-seek-judicial-order-for-struggling-mine

SA unemployment rate increases

PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA Oct 29 2009 12:36

South Africa’s official jobless rate increased to 24,5% of the labour force in the third quarter of 2009, from 23,6% in the second quarter, while the labour force fell sharply, a report showed on Thursday.

In its latest quarterly Labour Force Survey, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said the total number of unemployed people stood at 4,19-million in the three months to September.

Stats SA said the number of employed people fell by 484 000 to 12,89-million.

The rise in unemployment was exacerbated by a fall in employment, with 510 000 people either giving up looking for work or taking themselves out of the labour force completely — some opting to further their studies.

“These patterns suggest that there was a shift from employment into unemployment, discouragement and inactivity,” Stats SA said.

“They show the continued deterioration in the South African labour market … job losses were widespread, affecting most industries.”

The manufacturing sector, one of the hardest-hit by a global downturn and domestic recession, shed 150 000 jobs — 8% of total jobs for the industry — while wholesale and retail trade lost 110 000 jobs.

The expanded definition of unemployment, which includes those people that have given up looking for work, climbed to 34,4% from 32,5%. — Reuters

Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-10-29-sa-unemployment-rate-increases

Talks on Russian-Georgian conflict resume in Geneva under UN co-sponsorship

The United Nations and its international partners chairing talks on last year’s Russian-Georgian conflict in South Ossetia today voiced concern over a number of recent detentions but noted that the overall security situation on the ground remained “relatively stable.”

Black Panther Party 43rd Anniversary Celebrated in Oakland DuringOctober

Black Panther Party 43rd Anniversary History Month

Posted By blockreportradio

This October marked the 43rd anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party. To celebrate this milestone, the It’s About Time Committee and The Commemorator presented a two-day Book Fair and Teach-In at the Laney College Student Center, 900 Fallon St., on Friday, Oct. 23, 12-3 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 24, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., as just one of many scheduled October events.

We celebrated the birthday of Bobby Seale, co-founder and chairman of the Black Panther Party. There was also a presentation by Elbert “Big Man” Howard, an original founding member and international spokesperson for the BPP, who will introduce his idea for an historical site which would serve the Oakland community and attract visitors and revenue to Oakland.

Historically, the Black Panther Party contributed to the Oakland community by starting the first Free Breakfast for School Children program and free Medical Clinics which served the people and led to testing and research for sickle cell disease. These programs in Oakland evolved into nationwide programs and set models for ones which exist today.

Our school, the Oakland Community School, served as a model for the charter schools of today.

It is a known historical fact that before the Black Panther Party, candidates of color did not get elected here in the city of Oakland. This practice was changed forever after the Black Panther Party led a voters’ registration drive that engendered votes and support for Black candidates.

The election of candidates to public office who are Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic, past and present, such as Lionel Wilson, Ron Dellums, Barbara Lee, Willie Brown and many others, owe their successes in part to what the Black Panther Party initiated so many years ago.

The Black Panther Party led the way and laid the groundwork nationwide that made it possible for the disenfranchised and the oppressed to vote and elect candidates who would reflect the needs of the community and, thus, better serve them.

Every October in Oakland and many other cities, there are educational events held to commemorate the unique and important contributions that the Black Panther Party made to our collective history.

For more information and updates, visit our websites: http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com and http://www.bigmanbpp.com

Demonstrating that the legacy of the Black Panther Party remains relevant and very much alive, check out the short film “Operation Small Axe,” directed by Adimu Madyun, a documentary centered on Prisoners of Conscience Committee Minister of Information JR and the internationally renowned Block Report Radio show.

It was screened at two of the month’s events: first during the Black Panther Film Festival, Saturday, Oct. 17, 1:35 p.m., at the West Oakland Library, 18th and Adeline in West Oakland and also during the celebration at Laney College, on Saturday, Oct. 24.

UN ready to work with new Lebanese government, says Secretary-General

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reiterated the readiness of the United Nations to work with the new unity government in Lebanon in tackling the challenges facing the country.

Côte d’Ivoire: UN begins transporting provisional voters’ list for upcoming polls

The United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) today began transporting the provisional voters’ list to polling stations around the country as part of the latest phase of preparations for the upcoming presidential elections.

Ethiopian Opposition Says Food Aid Kept From Members

Ethiopia opposition says food aid kept from members

Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:14am GMT
By Barry Malone

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian opposition parties said on Wednesday that their members were being refused food aid to force them to join the ruling party before national elections are held in May next year.

The Ethiopian government says 6.2 million people will need emergency food this year and has appealed to the international community for help.

Another 7 million Ethiopians are part of a long-running food-for-work scheme, which means more than 13 million of the country’s 80 million people rely on aid to survive.

“Our members can’t get on the food-for-work scheme,” Gebru Asrat, spokesman for the opposition coalition Medrek, told Reuters. “Only ruling party members can now join the programme, so it forces desperate people to leave the opposition.”

People who joined the ruling party would not be able to work for the opposition or stand as opposition candidates.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s administration rejected the opposition complaint.

“It’s simply a ridiculous and outrageous thing to say,” Bereket Simon, government head of information, told Reuters.

He said the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) party had fewer than half the number of people currently enrolled in the food-for-work scheme.

Aid workers say a five-year drought is afflicting more than 23 million people in seven east African nations, with Ethiopia worst affected. Ethiopia’s latest appeal came on the 25th anniversary of the 1984 famine that killed more than 1 million.

“PROGRAMME FOR POOR, NOT POLITICS”

“The government is trying to control what parties people join,” Medrek’s Gebru said. “Food aid should not be used as a political weapon.”

Medrek is a coalition of eight parties and is seen as the most serious threat to Meles’ nearly 20 years in power.

The prime minister has agreed a “code of conduct” for the elections with three parliamentary opposition parties — two of which opponents say are government “satellites”.

Medrek refused to sign that agreement, demanding bilateral negotiations with the government on issues that they say were left out of the deal, including reform of the electoral board.

The government strongly denied the allegations of food being withheld from the opposition. “That programme is designed to help the poor in our society. Ethiopia doesn’t discriminate on political grounds when distributing food,” Bereket said.

Security forces killed about 200 protesters after the opposition said the government rigged elections in 2005. Seven policemen were also killed. Most analysts agree Meles’ EPRDF will win easily at the ballot box next year.

The opposition says this is because candidates are routinely intimidated and jailed — mostly in remote areas outside the capital Addis Ababa. The government says the opposition has no chance of victory and just wants to discredit the poll.

Ethiopia has never had a peaceful transition of power. Meles took over in 1991 after a rebel group led by him and others overthrew a communist regime.

10 States Face Looming Budget Disasters in the US

Report: 10 states face looming budget disasters

By JUDY LIN, Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A study released Wednesday warns that nine states are barreling toward an economic disaster similar to California’s ongoing fiscal crisis that has been marked by IOUs and budget-busting deficits.

The budget woes could mean higher taxes, accelerated layoffs of government employees, more crowded classrooms and fewer services in the coming year for some of the nation’s most populous states.

Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin join California as those most at risk of fiscal calamity, according to the report by the Pew Center on the States.

Double-digit budget gaps, rising unemployment, high home foreclosure rates and built-in budget constraints are the key reasons.

The analysis urged lawmakers and governors in those states to take quick action to head off a wider economic catastrophe. The 10 states account for more than one-third of America’s population and economic output, according to the report.

“While California often takes the spotlight, other states are facing hardships just as daunting,” said Susan Urahn, managing director of the Washington, D.C.-based center. “Decisions these states make as they try to navigate the recession will play a role in how quickly the entire nation recovers.”

California leads the most vulnerable states identified by Pew, which describes it as having poor money-management practices. According to the Legislative Analyst’s Office, California has made nearly $60 billion in budget adjustments — in the form of cuts to education and social service programs, temporary tax hikes, one-time gimmicks and stimulus spending — since February as tax revenues plunged.

Many of those fixes aren’t expected to last. The state’s temporary tax hikes will begin to expire at the end of 2010, while federal stimulus spending will begin to run out a year after that.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger estimates California will likely run a deficit of between $12.4 billion and $14.4 billion when he releases his next spending plan in January. The top estimate amounts to 17 percent of the state’s $84.6 billion general fund budget, the main account for day-to-day spending. General fund spending in California has dropped nearly $20 billion over the past two years.

The governor warned that the toughest cuts are ahead.

“I think that we are not out of the woods yet,” Schwarzenegger said this week.

Muscular monkeys prompt sports doping fears

A new gene therapy appears to bulk up monkeys’ muscles - it adds to the worries about gene doping in sport, says Linda Geddes

Palestinians Mark Fifth Anniversary of Arafat’s Death

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
16:49 Mecca time, 13:49 GMT

Palestinians mark Arafat’s death

Thousands of Palestinians are marking five years since the death of Yasser Arafat, their iconic leader who led them for nearly four decades, pushing the struggle for an independent homeland onto the world stage.

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, addressing a rally honouring Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday, where Palestinians remain divided, said he was extending a hand to Hamas for reconciliation.

Abbas addressed the crowd amid grim predictions by his aides that he may resign as president which could lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, which was established by Arafat during the Oslo peace process in the 1990s.

The beleaguered Palestinian president said he did not want to talk anymore about his decision not to run for president for a second time due to stalled peace efforts that have failed to bring about an independent Palestinian state.

He insisted the Palestinians remain committed to a peaceful solution to the conflict and accused Israel of hindering peace efforts by expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank including east Jerusalem.

“We see Israel confiscating land, building settlements and Judaising Jerusalem with unprecedented speed … and then they ask that we return to negotiations,” Abbas told the huge crowd.

“The return to negotiations depends on Israel adhering to the terms of reference of peace and that means halting all settlements, including natural growth and Jerusalem,” he said.

‘Moment of truth’

Saeb Erakat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, told the AFP news agency: “The moment of truth has come and we have to be frank with the Palestinian people that we have not been able to reach a two-state solution through 18 years of negotiation.”

Referring to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the Six Day War, he said: “We have become convinced that Israel doesn’t want a Palestinian state on lands it occupied in 1967.”

If Abbas were to resign, it would throw the divided Palestinians into new legal and political limbo, analysts say.

According to Palestinian Basic Law, Abbas’s resignation has to be approved by two-thirds of the Palestinian parliament in order to become effective.

But the chamber has not convened since 2006 and it is unclear whether it would do so if he quits.

If the resignation is approved, Aziz Dweik, the speaker of parliament of Fatah rival, Hamas, would assume the presidency until new elections are held within 60 days.

Abbas called for elections to be held in January but Hamas, which has urged Palestinians to reject his leadership, called on voters to stage a boycott.

Source: Al Jazeera

Today on New Scientist: 11 November 2009

Today’s stories on newscientist.com, at a glance, including: what the LHC is really looking for, how a mini ice age took hold of Europe in months, and how to get a club-winged manakin excited