Big job losses at KZN company

600 workers at Assmang served with retrenchment letters

- ANNIE DORASAMY AND SANDILE MDADANE

ABOUT 600 workers will be without jobs by the end of May, unable to support themselves and their families, as the controversial Assmang Manganese Cato Ridge Ltd, a company linked to billionaire Patrice Motsepe, is set to close down.

The workers, most of whom live in Cato Ridge and KwaXimba in the Outer West region, 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.

"People will lose jobs because the company says there are financial losses. The understanding in the community is that a process was started between the union, labour and the employer to look into business rescue.

"They came back with a report, but that was not implemented. Union members then made an attempt to engage with the company to look for a facilitator to apply Section 193 of the Labour Relations Act, which will allow for the transfer of ownership. That too was not explored.

"Workers became aware that a Malaysian company invested R50 billion into the company. When the workers through the union questioned this, there was no response," said Mkhize.