NUMSA demands urgent intervention from govt to save SA’s ferrochrome smelters

Pretoria
Alpha Ramushwana

Alpha Ramushwana

9 December 2025 | 4:01

The industrial plants are essential to making stainless and other speciality steel. The union expects a written response from the presidency by close of business on Friday.

NUMSA demands urgent intervention from govt to save SA’s ferrochrome smelters

NUMSA March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria calling on the government to urgently address soaring electricity tariffs affecting the smelting sector 2025. Picture: NUMSA

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) is demanding urgent intervention from government to save the country’s ferrochrome smelters.

The industrial plants are essential to making stainless and other speciality steel.

ALSO READ: Numsa demands urgent electricity tariff reduction to save smelting jobs

On Monday, the union staged a march in Tshwane, demanding a 62 cents per kilowatt-hour electricity tariff for smelters, and the nationalisation of strategic smelters to save jobs.

NUMSA president Andrew Chirwa outlined that the sector faces imminent collapse, which threatens at least 2,000 jobs at Glencore, 538 at Almar, 5,000 at Samancor, and 3,000 at the Rustenburg smelter.

Addressing the protesters, he said: “You are here to demonstrate that you are not numbers… you are family members. When you lose your job, five to 10 family members suffer.”

Chirwa said the union expects a written response from the presidency by close of business on Friday.

Written by Puleng Maake

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