Productivity Growth in the South African Coal Mining Industry : 1950 - 1980
PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN COAL MINING INDUSTRY : 1950 - 1980 ROBERT ARTHUR JONES A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilm ent.of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Johannesburg, 1983 DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is my own unaided work and has not been previously submitted, in part or in whole, for a degree at any other U niversity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the willing co operation received from many people directly and indirectly connected with the coal mining industry in South Africa. During the course of my research I have visited twenty six collieries, five ESCOM power stations, 1SC0R, SASOL, and innumerable private firms including manufacturers of mining machinery. I have persistently bothered the personnel of the Economics Department of the Reserve Bank, Department of Mineral and Energy A ffa irs , Minerals Bureau, Chamber of Mines, Fuel Research Institute, and the different mining houses and marketing organisations with a wide range of queries and requests for statistics and information. I have attended seminars, participated in training sessions, and sat in on management meetings. I have talked to mine managers, miners, artisans, machine operators, engineers, geologists, training personnel and trade-uni on officials. At all times my brief has been to ask questions, listen, observe and learn. I mention no names in particular for that would be odious to those I omit. They have c o lle c tiv e ly moulded my knowledge. I thank them a ll. I g ra te fu lly acknowledge a bursary from the Human Sciences Research Council which fa c ilita te d my investigations.
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