Massive job losses in the Eastern Cape: Aspen Pharmacare joins the litany
Statement by Bulelani Bobotyane, Provincial Secretary of the UDM in the Eastern Cape
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) in the Eastern Cape notes with deep concern the announcement by Aspen Pharmacare that more than 900 employees face retrenchment following a fresh Section 189A notice served on unions. This comes on the back of 208 jobs already lost over the past year, including the closure of its eyedrops production facility in Gqeberha, and forms part of a growing trend of mass retrenchments across key sectors of our economy.
The UDM in the Eastern Cape sympathises with the affected workers and their families. We are acutely aware of the devastating impact that job losses have on households, communities, and the country at large, especially in a context where South Africa is already in the grip of a worsening unemployment crisis.
Aspen, as one of the leading pharmaceutical companies on the continent, has historically played a critical role in job creation, industrial development, and the manufacture of essential medicines. It is therefore disheartening to witness a contraction in its workforce of this magnitude.
We call on Aspen to engage with unions and workers in good faith, to ensure that the consultation process is transparent, fair, and rooted in the principles of social justice. Workers must not be treated as disposable commodities in the pursuit of operational efficiency. We also urge Aspen to explore alternatives to retrenchment, including re-skilling, redeployment, and restructuring measures that can preserve as many jobs as possible.
The crisis at Aspen is not an isolated case. Across South Africa, major employers are shedding jobs at an alarming rate. Goodyear has already closed its Kariega factory, resulting in 900 job losses, while ArcelorMittal, Glencore, and Ford have also announced significant cuts. These developments point to a broader pattern of industrial decline and economic stagnation, which demands urgent intervention from government and a coordinated response from all social partners.
Government cannot continue to sit on its hands while South Africans lose their jobs in waves of Section 189 notices. The UDM calls on the Department of Employment and Labour, as well as the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, to urgently intervene. We need decisive leadership to:
• Protect existing jobs in strategic industries such as pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.
• Support companies facing operational and compliance challenges with incentives and relief mechanisms, where appropriate.
• Facilitate long-term industrial strategies that strengthen South Africa’s manufacturing capacity and competitiveness.
The UDM in the Eastern Cape further demands accountability regarding the circumstances that led to the loss of Aspen’s eyedrops production lines, including the findings of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Regulatory compliance and quality assurance failures must not be allowed to undermine local jobs or compromise South Africa’s standing in global markets.
South Africa (and the Eastern Cape in particular) cannot continue to bleed jobs at this scale without a decisive response. The UDM in the Eastern Cape demands that government urgently declare job losses a national emergency and present a clear plan to stem the tide of retrenchments sweeping through every sector. Empty promises and piecemeal interventions can no longer suffice; workers and their families need action, not platitudes.
