Gold Fields has announced it may cut 6,900 jobs across its South African operations due to a ten-percent power reduction by state utility Eskom.
Gold Fields, one of the world’s largest gold producers, says the cut represents 13 percent of its workforce and could lead to an output reduction of about 20-25 percent this quarter.
South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers, the country's largest with 270,000 members, responded immediately, saying it "will take to the streets if companies carry out their retrenchments threats".
Eskom has called for increased coal supplies to tackle the energy crisis, which brought a halt to mining in the country last month.
By staff writer
