De Beers to Reduce “Up To 25%” of London Staff
January 15, 09
The economic crisis is not skipping over De Beers. Sources at the company have confirmed to IDEX Online that the company started a 90-day consultation process just before Christmas, at the end of which up to 25 percent of De Beers employees in London will lose their jobs.
The company employees more than 400 people at London, meaning that some 100 jobs are at risk.
The first announcements are likely in the next few days. The process is expected to end by the end of March.
Talk about layoffs at the diamond mining giant has been circulating since November of last year, when the company announced it will curtail diamond mining. Since then, most mine workers have been sent on extended holiday vacations, with some expected to be given notice.
Firings at mines in Africa and Canada are complicated for De Beers, since most mine workers are unionized.