By Thapelo Molefe
Labour has vowed to do everything in its power to prevent 3500 workers from being retrenched following ArcelorMittal SA’s (AMSA) announcement that it will shut down its long steel mills in South Africa.
Not only would the closures impact jobs and families who relied on steel workers for income, it was bound to have a devastating impact on the economy, it said.
The closure of the operations has been on the cards since November 2023 amid prolonged weak economic conditions, logistics and energy challenges and competition from low-cost imports though it kept the Vereeniging and Newcastle factories operational after widespread stakeholder concerns.
Company CEO Kobus Versterhas confirmed that a Section 189 consultation process would begin, impacting workers at its Newcastle Works, Vereeniging Works and the Vanderbijlpark plant, along with other divisions.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions has described the closures as a catastrophe, especially given SA’s
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