CSR and Labor Policies in the South African Mining Industry

Abstract

The mining sector is the backbone of South Africa’s economy and one of the largest employers in mining communities. The extractive industry plays a significant role in the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the communities in which they operate. Consequently, corporate social responsibility (CSR) must be accounted for to ensure sustainability, and labor policies must be adhered to. This chapter aims to discuss the CSR and labor policies in the South African mining industry. Through a desktop review, the study revealed that South African mining companies are guided by numerous labor legislations and policies. Despite the presence of these policies, the sector has been hit by rampant strike actions, which have caused huge loss of lives and livelihoods. This study confirmed that human resource management plays a pivotal role in ensuring that CSR and labor policies are adopted in the sector and that the challenges faced by mining companies are alleviated if trade unions and employers work closely for the betterment of the communities and country at large. Furthermore, this chapter confirmed that the 2012 Marikana incident proved to provide lessons to the sector that long strikes and bargaining in bad faith can damage the industry.