Labour unions are to meet platinum mining giant Lonmin next week on the fate of about 1500 workers who might be affected by cutbacks at its Limpopo operation.

Solidarity and the National Union of Mineworkers said on Wednesday the future of 1557 workers at the Limpopo operation would be discussed next Thursday at Marikana in the North West.

Num spokesperson Lesiba Seshoka confirmed the union's attendance for the 27 November meeting.

Trade union Uasa is also expected to attend, said Solidarity spokesperson Reint Dykema.

He said retrenchments would "not be the right decision to make".

The company's most recent financial statements showed it was still making money, he said.

"It's not written in stone. We as a union are going out to fight to protect our members," he said.

Dykema said the union wanted to engage with Lonmin with an open mind as no formal notification of retrenchments had been received.

On Tuesday Lonmin said it might close its Limpopo Baobab shaft.

"We intend to initiate consultations with our workforce and the unions in relation to the future of operations at our Limpopo property, which we believe are uneconomic," the group said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Lonmin spokesperson Alex Shorland Ball said talk of job losses in connection with Limpopo operations was "jumping the gun" as no decision had been taken yet.

Production at Lonmin, the third largest platinum producer in the world, has been affected by safety related shut downs, as well as nationwide electricity supply problems and a drop in global commodity prices.

On Tuesday the company announced it would suspend opencast mining at Marikana with effect from the end of the 2008 calendar year.

The platinum price has fallen over 60 percent from its record of US$2301.50 in March, due to slowing economic growth and less demand for cars and jewellery.

Sapa