JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Over 6,000 South African mine workers could be jobless soon as Sibanye-Stillwater restructures, the company said on Thursday.

Sibanye-Stillwater, the largest individual producer of gold in South Africa and one of the 10 largest gold producers globally, said they will begin consultation with stakeholders regarding the possible restructuring of its gold operations because of financial losses.

"Contemplating potential restructuring of this nature is never taken lightly and we are aware of the possible impact on many of our colleagues. Our best attempts to address the ongoing losses at these operations have however been unsuccessful and sustaining these losses may threaten the viability of our other operations," said Sibanye-Stillwater CEO Neal Froneman.

The mining company said the process could impact on about 5,870 employees and 800 contractors.

Froneman said, "We hope to engage constructively with our stakeholders to find ways to minimize and avoid job losses during this process, while ensuring that additional jobs are not placed at risk in future."

This news comes a day after the Congress of South African Trade Unions took to the streets in eight provinces, calling on the government to protect jobs.