Congress of the people expresses its deep concern about the likelihood of Lonmin retrenching as many as 3500 workers. This is too ghastly to contemplate.

In the past four years, the platinum sector has cut 35 000 jobs. Job shedding and load shedding are the bane of our lives today

The sudden loss of jobs of this magnitude will have a devastating effect on the area. Lack of employment and poverty has already reached crisis proportions there. These massive layoffs, if they happen, will only exacerbate the situation.

Cope urges Lonmin to look for every alternative to keep the workers in employment.

Such a large layoff will see an increase in crime and contribute to social instability. Nobody wants to see that.

Cope calls on Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to use his influence to avert a crisis.

Issued by Dennis Bloem on behalf of COPE, Dennis Bloem is COPE’s national spokesperson