TULBAGH, Western Cape — Seasonal workers at the historic Tulbagh Canning Factory are facing the imminent threat of massive job losses as Premier Group moves forward with Section 189 retrenchment notices. As a second round of CCMA-facilitated talks begins, employees and union representatives are rallying to save hundreds of livelihoods tied to this vital Western Cape agricultural hub.
The canning facility, which has been a cornerstone of the local economy since the 1940s, recently issued formal notices to retrench workers as part of a broader corporate decision to close the factory. The move has sparked widespread alarm among workers, trade unions, and local political representatives, who gathered outside the premises to demand urgent intervention and job preservation.
Hanelie Cloete, a seasonal worker at the facility since 1992, highlighted the devastating personal and community impact of the proposed closure. Speaking outside the factory, Cloete explained that the sudden loss of income would plunge her family and colleagues into severe financial hardship.
“We stopped working with the expectation that we would return to Premier, but we were thrown under the bus,” Cloete stated. She noted that many seasonal workers struggle to find employment elsewhere because other factories prefer permanent staff and are reluctant to hire “road workers.” Cloete warned of dire social consequences, including hunger and increased vulnerability to social ills, if primary breadwinners are left without an income to support school fees and basic household needs.
The ripple effects of the closure extend far beyond the factory walls. Malvin de Brin, Western Cape provincial secretary of the representing trade union, warned that the plant is the economic backbone of communities in Tulbagh, Saron, Wolseley, and Ceres. De Brin estimated that over 3,000 jobs are directly and indirectly at risk.
“When one individual feeds a family of seven, the closure means more than 20,000 community members will be affected,” De Brin explained, emphasizing the risk of turning these historically agricultural towns into “ghost towns.”
De Brin also raised alarms about the broader agricultural sector, noting that 158 local farms directly supply fruit to the canning plant, meaning the closure will severely disrupt regional farming economies. Furthermore, he criticized the timing of the shutdown, describing it as an “inhumane decision.” He pointed out that the company entered into mergers in March, only to announce the factory closure three months later. De Brin alleged this violates a Competition Commission agreement clause that prohibits merger-related retrenchments within a three-year period, suggesting the shutdown was a “well-orchestrated plan” rather than a sudden economic necessity.
As the second round of CCMA-facilitated negotiations gets underway, the fate of the Tulbagh Canning Factory remains uncertain. Workers and community leaders continue to press for a resolution that will protect the region’s agricultural workforce and prevent the economic destabilization of the Breede Valley municipality.
