ArcelorMittal to issue retrenchment letters from today

VEREENIGING - ArcelorMittal says in a statement it will begin winding down its embattled Long steel Business. In a letter to employees dated 29 August, CEO Kobus Verster confirmed that Section 189 retrenchment notices would be issued on a staggered basis, from today, 1 September 2025. He said the company had “no option but to prepare for closure” after efforts to secure further support from the Industrial Development Corporation and government failed. The Longs division, which includes Vereeniging and Newcastle, employs around 3,500 workers directly and indirectly. Rising imports, soaring electricity costs, poor rail performance, and weak local demand were cited as key pressures. Trade union NUMSA has condemned the decision as a “social and economic catastrophe”, while analysts warn it highlights the broader decline of South Africa’s manufacturing sector.