The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) says it is shocked by looming job cuts affecting more than 3 000 employees at Glencore and Samancor mines.

This comes after Glencore confirmed it had initiated a Section 189 retrenchment process under the Labour Relations Act, effective from 1 September 2025.

The move affects Boshoek and Wonderkop Smelters in Rustenburg, Rhovan Vanadium near Bethanie, and the Carbon Division in Emalahleni.

NUM chief negotiator Lefty Mashego has criticised the retrenchment plans, describing them as premature and disingenuous.

“It goes beyond saying that we are shattered. We are really shocked that the company finally activated their contemplation to this effect. We are sitting at the highest peak of unemployment in SA. We are talking about 3000 of its sections affected, as a result, we are talking above 3000 employees to be affected by this thing. You can imagine multiplying that by the number of families supported by those individual workers. It’s a serious blow even in the economy itself,” says Mashego.

NUM has called on Glencore and Samancor to engage in constructive negotiations to safeguard jobs and minimise the impact on workers and their families.

PODCAST | NUM chief negotiator Lefty Mashego has criticised the retrenchment plans: