When a company applies for a mining right, it must provide a series of documents on mining plans, which will then be used by the Department of Mineral Resources to assess the viability of the potential deposit. One of these documents is the social and labour plan. Social and labour plans determine how the company intends to share some of the benefits that come from mining.

Developing the Skills

These include, for example, initiatives to upskill your employees; renovation of local schools and roads; as well as provide the area with housing, water and sanitation. Once the company is granted the right of exploitation, the social and labour plan that it presents becomes a mandatory legal document.

Research on Social and Labour Plans

Apart from anecdotal evidence, very little research has been done on employment and social plans. As a result, the department drew up a draft social and labour plan to verify the effective operation of the system. The project is divided into three phases, in which it is analyzed how the social and labour plans are developed, how they are implemented and how they can be improved.

Expert Opinion

A community that lives with an expert opinion on the social and labour plan of a platinum mine projected for its territory. The analysis showed that in the four years prior to the Marikana massacre, Lonmin had not complied with the obligations established in its social and labour plan.

A project with a more detailed analysis of the 50 social and labour plans collected. Using the tool we developed, the analysis covered more than 4,500 individual data points. The results of this study are available in our first project report Social and labour Plans.

Social and Labour Plan System

At the same time, the project will provide practical guidance to mining-affected communities interested in learning more about the social and labour planning system to read the plan and conduct a social audit. Social and labour Plan The mining community toolbox is available in five different languages.

Final Verdict

The first two reports identified systemic problems in the social and labour planning system that were preventing the mining industry from achieving its goals of transforming and benefiting communities affected by the mining industry.