Over 250 000 jobs at risk as major companies issue retrenchment notices.
Katlego Sekhu

The Department of Employment and Labour has raised concerns about a wave of retrenchment notices issued by major companies in South Africa, which could ultimately affect more than 250 000 people.
Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, said she was “gravely concerned” about the retrenchments at Ford South Africa, ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), and Goodyear SA.
Jacky Molisane, Acting Director-General at the Department of Employment and Labour, joined Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi to address these concerns.
“The issue of job losses is something very close to the heart. As the Department of Employment and Labour, we are working to preserve existing jobs while also creating new ones,” Molisane explained, noting that interventions had been attempted to prevent job losses.
“In the case of AMSA, we worked very closely with the company to try and save jobs. Because of the significant socio-economic role AMSA plays.”
She highlighted that they engaged with AMSA to try and preserve more than 2,900 employees. This included extending funding for 12 months to the value of over R400 million.
“Unfortunately, because of their insistence on proceeding with retrenchments, we could not move forward with this arrangement, and it collapsed.”
Molisane described the situation as deeply concerning.
“This entity plays a critical role in the socio-economic ecosystem, and the ripple effects are extensive. We are not only looking at the business itself but also the entire supply chain, from raw material suppliers to logistics providers and service industries.”
Listen to the podcast for the full discussion.
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