Sappi restructuring may lead to job losses

The Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (Ceppwawu) has said that the company intends to cut more than 1200 jobs by February/March, but Sappi spokesperson Andre Oberholzer told City Press that the union's figures were premature, since talks in this regard were still to be held under the auspices of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration at a date yet to be decided.

Ceppwawu said in a statement that workers at Sappi Enstra Plant (Gauteng), Sappi Tugela (KwaZulu-Natal), Sappi Saiccor (KwaZulu-Natal), Sappi Stanger (KwaZulu-Natal) and Sappi Ngodwana (Mpumalanga) would be retrenched adding that at no stage "has the Sappi executive involved the union in any discussions or consultations about the overall restructuring and repositioning of Sappi." Oberholzer said, however, that Sappi had consulted all the unions (including Ceppwawu, Solidarity and United Association of SA) in a "detailed process" since 2010.

The company said the restructuring of its business processes and paper operations in SA would lead to significant additional reduction of jobs during the first half of the next financial year. Oberholzer added that staff at its support services, which includes human resources, finance, procurement and communication, might be retrenched. Ceppwawu said it was mobilising support from the Congress of SA Trade Unions and the International Chemical, Energy, Mining Federation to resist what it calls a "jobs bloodbath"

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