ActionSA has urged Parliament to address sweeping retrenchments in key manufacturing sectors as South Africa faces a mounting jobs crisis. The party has written to National Assembly Speaker, Thoko Didiza, calling for an emergency debate, warning that mass layoffs are unfolding in steel, automotive, and mining-linked industries.

According to ActionSA, ArcelorMittal South Africa’s plan to close its long-steel operations could cost 3 500 jobs at its Newcastle and Vereeniging plants, with a further 100 000 positions at risk across downstream suppliers. In the automotive sector, nearly 500 workers at Ford’s Pretoria and Gqeberha operations are threatened with retrenchment, while Goodyear’s recent closure of its Kariega tyre plant means around 900 jobs lost. Since 2023, the industry has seen at least 12 company closures, resulting in more than 4 000 lost jobs.

Mining-linked smelters are also under severe pressure. Glencore and Merafe have begun retrenching nearly 2 500 workers at Boshoek and Wonderkop, potentially affecting 17 000 more indirect jobs. Assmang’s KwaZulu-Natal smelter has already shed 600 employees.

ActionSA blames surging electricity tariffs, persistent load-shedding, and dysfunctional ports and rail for eroding the country’s industrial competitiveness. The party is calling on key ministers, unions, and industry bodies to map out urgent interventions, including lower power costs for smelters and reskilling schemes. It warns that unless swift action is taken, hundreds of thousands of livelihoods hang in the balance.