[Bhpbilliton] Kloppers’ millions / Workers strike at BHP Billiton's SA aluminium smelter / Shriti Vadera, UK's latest iron lady, joins the BHP board

[Andy Whitmore]

Kloppers’ millions

http://www.miningnews.net/storyview.asp?StoryID=1587576

8 December 2010

BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers has been awarded around 
$A11 million worth of shares in the world’s largest miner under a 
long-term incentive plan and group incentive scheme.

A statement lodged with the Australian Securities Exchange, London Stock 
Exchange and New York Stock Exchange showed Kloppers has received 
200,000 performance shares under the long-term incentive plan and 54,831 
deferred shares under the group incentive plan.

Based on Wednesday’s closing share price of $44.86, this valued the 
shares at $11.43 million.

Kloppers holds an indirect interest in 608,591 shares in BHP’s 
London-listed stock and an indirect interest in 123,826 shares in BHP’s 
Australian-listed stock. He also holds 320 shares directly.

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Workers strike at BHP Billiton's SA aluminium smelter

Union officials said hundreds of workers went on strike at BHP's 
Hillside aluminium smelter, demanding better wages and changes to 
working conditions

Reuters - 
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page504?oid=116583&sn=Detail&pid=92730

9 December 2010

JOHANNESBURG - Hundreds of workers at BHP Billiton's (BLT.L: Quote) 
(BHP.AX: Quote) aluminium smelter in South Africa went on strike on 
Wednesday, demanding better wages and changes in work conditions, a 
union official said.

About 600 workers downed tools at BHP's Billiton Hillside aluminium 
smelter at Richards Bay, in the country's KwaZulu Natal province, after 
talks with management failed, National Union of Metalworkers spokesman 
Mbuso Ngubane said.

The workers are demanding a 12 percent hike in wages across the board, 
and a 50 percent employer contribution to a medical aid scheme, among 
other things.

The union said it had been in talks with management since April this year.

BHP Billiton SA spokesman Johnny Dladla said in an e-mailed statement 
the company was open to further talks and that its offer of a 7.5 
percent pay rise had been accepted by about 70 percent of the employees 
at the unit.

Hillside, with annual capacity of around 700,000 tonnes, is South 
Africa's major producer of aluminium.

Dladla said the company had put in place contingency plans to maintain 
production at the unit.

The union was expected to meet with management later on Wednesday.

"We are going (to the meeting) with an open mind, hopefully we may have 
an agreement by tomorrow," Ngubane said.

Africa's biggest economy has been hit by a wave of strikes and strike 
threats in both the private and public sector, which have led to 
above-inflation settlements and stoked fears that the cost of living 
will rise.

South Africa's inflation rate stood at 3.4 percent in October. 
(Reporting by Olivia Kumwenda; editing by Keiron Henderson)

---------------------------

Shriti Vadera, UK's latest iron lady, joins the BHP board

Matt Chambers, The Australian - 
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/shriti-vadera-uks-latest-iron-lady-joins-the-bhp-board/story-e6frg9df-1225971140878

15 December 2010

BHP Billiton's newest board appointment is former British Labour 
minister Shriti Vadera.

She has featured in the WikiLeaks dump of US government cables, which 
make note of her closeness to former prime minister Gordon Brown and her 
reputation for dealing harshly with public servants.

According to a January 2009 cable obtained by WikiLeaks and posted on 
the website of the British newspaper The Guardian, Lady Vadera -- a 
former minister for Africa and minister for economic competitiveness and 
enterprise -- spoke daily to Mr Brown, and was an active player in 
developing Britain's response to the global financial crisis.

The cable, from the US embassy in London, also noted her reputation as a 
hard taskmaster.

"One private secretary told us Vadera would regularly scream from her 
desk, 'Get me a cup of coffee', with a string of expletives attached, 
something almost unheard of in the polite British civil service, 
prompting three scheduling assistants to leave her office in three 
months," the cable said.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related Coverage

     * Fairfax releases WikiLeaks cables The Australian, 3 hours ago
     * BHP puts political runs on the board The Daily Telegraph, 1 day ago
     * BHP appoints Baroness to board Perth Now, 1 day ago
     * Swan questions accuracy of BHP WikiLeak The Daily Telegraph, 3 
days ago
     * WikiLeaks rival 'to open Monday' Herald Sun, 4 days ago

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

"It is worth noting that Vadera can also be charismatic and charming."

BHP announced yesterday Lady Vadera's appointment, which brings the 
number of directors on the board to 12.

Chairman Jac Nasser said the combination of finance and policy 
experience gained in Lady Vadera's time in government, and 14 earlier 
years of investment banking at UBS Warburg, made her an excellent 
addition to the board.

"She is highly regarded for her work in the private sector and with 
governments around the world," Mr Nasser said.

"Her expertise in global economic issues and extensive experience in 
Africa and Asia will be a source of invaluable insight as BHP Billiton 
continues to grow its global business."

Since leaving government in October last year, Lady Vadera has advised 
the G20 chair, the Dubai government, in relation to Dubai World debt 
restructuring, and Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasak.

She brings the number of women on the BHP board to two and the total 
number of directors back to 12 after the retirement this year of former 
chairman Don Argus.

According to the US embassy cable, Mr Brown recruited Lady Vadera in 
1999 after her efforts to eradicate debt in her birthplace, Uganda.

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Executive Outcomes: BHP, Sedgman and more

Kristie Batten - http://www.miningnews.net/StoryView.asp?StoryID=1587799

14 December 2010

BHP Billiton has appointed former British government minister Baroness 
Shriti Vadera to the board as a non-executive director.

Vadera most recently served as minister for Africa, and minister for 
economic competitiveness and enterprise.

She previously worked at UBS Warburg as an investment banker for 14 
years and has acted as an advisor to the governments of Dubai and Korea 
as well as Temasek Holdings, an investment company owned by the 
government of Singapore.

BHP chairman Jac Nasser said Vadera was an excellent addition to the 
board due to her finance and policy experience.

“She is highly regarded for her work in the private sector and with 
governments around the world,” he said.

“Her expertise in global economic issues and extensive experience in 
Africa and Asia will be a source of invaluable insight as BHP Billiton 
continues to grow its global business.”

The appointment brings the number of BHP directors to 12.



-- 

Andy Whitmore (Whit)
Indigenous Peoples Links (PIPLinks)
Communications and Research
Finspace, 225-229 Seven Sisters Road, London, N4 2DA
Ph / fax: + 44 (0)207 263 1002
Email: comms at piplinks.org  Web: http://www.piplinks.org


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