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Numsa Secretary General Irvin Jim addresses the media in Newtown, Johannesburg on August 18, 2025.
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) says it has reached an improved severance deal with Goodyear South Africa following the closure of its Kariega plant in the Eastern Cape.
In June, the company initiated a Section 189A process to restructure its manufacturing operations in Kariega, which has resulted in over 900 job losses.
For several weeks, Numsa and Goodyear have been negotiating better severance packages for workers affected.
Speaking at a press briefing in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Monday, Numsa Secretary-General Irvin Jim says the settlement agreement was concluded on Friday.
Jim says, “Numsa succeeded in attaining a substantial improvement on the grossly unfair minimum package which Goodyear wished to impose on the workers, despite their years of loyal service. The more pertinent improvement attained were increasing severance packets pay from two weeks remuneration completed year of service to four weeks remuneration for each completed year of service. In addition, Goodyear is also paying each worker a lump sum of R100 000.”
“There are 525 Numsa members at Kariega plant, out of this number, 235 members or 65% would get an average of R500 000. Numsa members with zero to five years of service will get a severance package that will take them to R234 000, 64 of Numsa members who have 26 years or more service years will get an average package of R1 million.”
Jim adds: “Numsa also succeeded to push Goodyear to agree that 17 workers that were on fixed-term contracts must also benefit from this negotiated package.”
VIDEO | Numsa briefs the media on the closure of the Goodyear plant:
