After extending the deadline for the process to re-employ mineworkers who were laid off when the former Gupta-owned Optimum Coal Mine (OCM) in Mpumalanga went into business rescue, new mine owners Liberty Coal have committed that the process to bring as many people back on board should be finalised in the next two months.
Liberty Coal had extended the deadline for the cohort of Optimum’s retrenched workers to submit details by 30 more days in June, looking to prioritise them for re-employment.
The initial submission window opened at the beginning of May 2024 and closed on May 31, but Liberty Coal then granted an extension at the beginning of June out of concern it may not have reached everyone in time.
The efforts to re-employ the workers were in accordance with OCM’s business rescue plan, adopted by 88% of its creditors in September 2020.
“Liberty Coal is now in the process of verifying all information received and will, in due course, contact all eligible employees to advise them of the next steps. Over the next two months, Liberty will continue to engage all former employees of OCM,” the company said in a statement.
The company warned, how-ever, that the process will require time and patience due to factors beyond its control.
In April 2024, Liberty Coal announced that employees retrenched by OCM during the mine’s business rescue process should submit their contact information and proof of employment in order to receive priority for re-employment.
“It is important to emphasise that workers and contractors who Optimum did not directly employ in April 2019 do not fall within this category of ex-employees,” said Liberty Coal.
After the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the company negotiated an R462-million forfeiture settlement over mining rights at the OCM in Mpumalanga in February, Liberty Coal pledged to save more than 500 jobs.
Under the settlement deal, signed into a court order, Daniel McGowan, whose Templar Capital controls Liberty Coal, gained ownership of OCM and its important export arm, the Optimum Coal Terminal.
After the Guptas failed to pay their debts, McGowan acquired equity in OCM, and the NPA settlement acknowledged that he was unaware of the Guptas’ criminal activities when he became a creditor to OCM.
In March, the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) and Liberty Coal signed a coal export agreement for OCM to begin exporting its coal through the terminal.
Subject to the completion of the necessary rail arrangements with Transnet, the parties planned to begin exporting tonnes of coal from OCM’s Mpumalanga operation through the RBCT in April.
RBCT said then it looked forward to the revitalisation of the OCM as a significant and sustainable contributor to employment opportunities and economic activity within the greater Steve Tshwete municipal region and to the South African fiscus.
I am challenging this article it is false i wasn’t called by liberty ocm (optimum) nor the ao called contractors whom are managed by NUM representatives contact me ill give a false fraudulent activity conducted against us 2019employees.were robbed and discarded badly by brps and those curewnt management..