The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa) has called on government to take “extremely drastic measures” against the owners of the Assmang ferromanganese smelter in Cato Ridge after it was this week ordered by labour inspectors to shut down one of its furnaces, barely a week after the ban on the use of four furnaces there was lifted.
Labour Department spokeswoman Zolisa Sigabi said an inspection conducted at the plant revealed that last Saturday, a finger-sized burn-through of the wall of furnace number two occurred, causing slag and molten metal to seep through the hole.
