{
  "id": 7770673,
  "title": "Nearly 800 people to be laid off on New Year’s Eve at Eskom coal supplier Seriti Power",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/nearly-800-people-to-be-laid-off-on-new-years-eve-at-eskom-coal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T10:41:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/business/nearly-800-people-to-be-laid-off-on-new-years-eve-at-eskom-coal-supplier-seriti-power/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Eskom's coal supplier, Seriti Power, plans to lay off nearly 800 workers at the end of the year, according to recent restructuring plans. The company aims to complete the process by December 31, 2026. Seriti operates several major coal mines in Mpumalanga, a province that saw a slight increase in employment during the second quarter of 2026, adding 41,000 jobs. However, nationwide unemployment remains high at 8.5 million people, with 345,000 additional jobless individuals in the same period. Solidarity Movement, a trade union, has criticized the decision, warning that it will worsen Mpumalanga's unemployment rate. Solidarity's deputy general secretary, Willie Venter, stated that Seriti's restructuring is due to sustained cost pressures, aging mining assets, declining production, high unit costs, and limited remaining lifespan of certain operations. The company has informed Solidarity of the comprehensive restructuring process under section 189A of the Labour Relations Act, which covers its head office and various mining operations. Venter emphasized that retrenchments in Mpumalanga are not isolated, as other major employers face pressure, including Sibanye-Stillwater's closure in North West, which has led to a loss of 26,000 jobs in the mining sector in the second quarter. He added that with concerns about job losses in the metals manufacturing industry, the situation poses risks to entire towns, families, and local businesses. Solidarity Movement intends to consult with employees during the consultation process, exploring options such as redeployment, transfers, voluntary severance packages, and early retirement before proceeding with the proposed retrenchment date of New Year's Eve, December 31, 2026.",
  "summary": "Affected employees will be retrenched on 31 December 2026.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}