UASA Media Release: 11 December 2025
Statement by Abigail Moyo, spokesperson of the trade union UASA:
UASA welcomes Samancor Chrome’s announcement that it will not proceed with issuing Section 189A notices on 14 January 2026. The company’s decision follows discussions with the government, Eskom, and industry stakeholders after facing challenges caused by rising electricity prices.
During a meeting with the company, the government acknowledged that the requested electricity price is essential for sustainable operations and committed to working towards achieving this in the near future.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Eskom, and a task team has been established to develop solutions, subject to approval from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).
UASA is pleased that workers will not face the immediate threat of job losses and that Samancor Chrome engaged constructively with stakeholders, avoiding the Section 189 process while negotiations continue. However, UASA warns that this situation highlights a more significant issue—the severe impact of South Africa’s high electricity tariffs on both businesses and consumers.
Rising power costs are crippling industries such as mining and manufacturing, pushing companies to the brink and risking thousands of jobs.
The near-implementation of Section 189 at Samancor Chrome should serve as a wake-up call for the government to urgently address the effects of escalating tariffs on economic stability, competitiveness and employment.
Even though the situation at Samancor Chrome has been addressed, the underlying risk remains as long as electricity tariffs continue to rise without a viable solution.
The government must take decisive action to stabilise electricity prices. Temporary measures cannot replace long-term, sustainable reforms.
Samancor also noted that the company will review its position at the end of January 2026 before making any further decisions and meetings will be held with all stakeholders on the way forward.
For further enquiries or to set up a personal interview, contact Abigail Moyo at 065 170 0162.