Employees
The safety, wellbeing and development of employees and contractors is our top priority.
De Beers Angola - Pontes Neto, Technical Geologist and Nahari Patricia, Geologist, logging drill core samples from a deep kimberlite target near Lucapa
We see this as a core part of our commitment to uphold the fundamental human rights of our employees and comply with core labour standards. Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are an integral part of the way we work together.
At the end of 2007, the De Beers Family of Companies employed approximately 19,300 people in Africa, primarily in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa, accounting for about 93% of our workforce.
Gareth Penny, Report to Society 2007
We also engage proactively to address issues of national and business significance such as HIV/ AIDS in Africa. Where appropriate, we work in partnerships to share the learning of our engagement and benefits offered to our employees with local communities. This is most evident in our health facilities and HIV/AIDS programmes, which are increasingly open to contractors and local communities in the vicinity of our operations.
We recruit and develop employees from the countries where we work and are dedicated to growing an equitable and empowered workforce where every individual is respected and supported regardless of race, gender, age or disability.
We promote a culture that respects and nurtures a diversity of ideas and viewpoints as an essential ingredient for the long term success of our business.
Our aim is to harness and develop the unique skills and experience that each individual brings. This benefits our employees directly in their achievement of personal objectives, it contributes to our own business objectives and builds the skills base of diamond producing countries.
It enables us to better serve the markets and producer countries within which we operate and be seen as an employer and miner of choice.
Did you know?
“Vision of zeros” seeks zero new HIV infections in employees or partners, zero babies born with HIV/AIDS from treated mothers, and zero deaths from HIV/AIDS.
Issues and important questions that are addressed in the Report to Society 2007:
- Safety and fatalities
- Occupational Illness Frequency Rate (OIFR)
- Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL)
- Tuberculosis (TB) and silicosis
- HIV/AIDS management and anti-retroviral treatment
- Employee benefits and satisfaction
- Labour standards and trade unions
- Forced labour and child labour
- Non-discrimination and employment equity
- Women in the workforce
- Harnessing and developing talent
- Re-skilling for mine closure