SOUTH AFRICAN miners will march today to urge government action to prevent almost 20,000 job losses.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) announced the protest in Matlosana near Klerksdorp in North West Province in a statement yesterday.

Earlier this year Anglo-Gold Ashanti announced 8,500 redundancies on the Johannesburg Gold Reef.

And the Bokoni Platinum mine in Limpopo said it would lay off 2,651 directly employed staff as well as about 3,000 contractors.

NUM general secretary David Sipunzi said: “The NUM will oppose these retrenchments with the necessary vigour and will fight tooth and nail with these mining companies.”

He said the mining industry had shed more than 80,000 jobs in the last five years as it resorts to increasing mechanisation.

And he reiterated the union’s resolution that redundancy pay should be increased to one month’s salary for every year worked.

Mr Sipunzi called for a national “jobs summit” but stressed the growing rift between the union and employers.

“Many of these companies regard the NUM as an enemy rather than an important stakeholder.”

The mineral-energy complex is the backbone of South Africa’s economy, now in recession. Research suggests each mining job directly or indirectly supports 10 other people.

The ruling ANC’s national executive committee meeting at the weekend also called for a focus on halting economic decline and growing unemployment, especially among the youth and university graduates.

It endorsed Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba’s 14-point inclusive growth action plan unveiled earlier this month.