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Sunday Tribune reports that about 600 workers will be without jobs by the end of May as the controversial Assmang Manganese Cato Ridge Ltd is set to close down.
The workers have been served with retrenchment letters. Their future remains uncertain as some have had their health compromised because of the long-term exposure to hazardous chemicals. Leaders in the area have described their plight as dire, with devastating economic effects for the entire Cato Ridge and KwaXimba area, which has a population of about 20,000. “Six hundred workers unemployed equates to 6,000 people being affected,” said Mlondi Mkhize, the ANC eThekwini Regional spokesperson. The communication from the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the union that represents most of the workers, has also not been very clear, claimed Mkhize. He said the message from the NUM’s provincial branch was that the company was running at a loss, while the message from the national office was that it was no longer profitable, had reached its lifespan and required a huge investment. The ANC held a picket on Friday to raise its concerns about the job losses. The party believes that not enough has been done by the company to prevent it from closing and workers from being unemployed. The NUM’s regional secretary Muzikayise Zakwe said that they were opposed to any form of employee dismissals or retrenchments. Last year, the union reached a five-year wage agreement with the company.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Annie Dorasamy & Sandile Mdadane at Sunday Tribune
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