SABC to let go of 600 employees

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) plans to retrench its staff following consultations with the public broadcaster’s key stakeholders.

In a statement released on Thursday, it says it will impact approximately 600 employees and these affected employees will be invited to make representations during a consultation process which will be facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

The national broadcaster says that the notice is a result of the “SABC’s new Target Operating Model” which is a strategic renewal initiative aimed at transforming the Corporation into a financially sustainable, self-sufficient and fit-for-purpose public broadcaster.

“The SABC has a duty to ensure the continued viability of the Corporation so that it may fulfill its public mandate and effectively serve the millions of South Africans who rely on it for education, information and entertainment,” it says.

It says organised labour, as well as representatives of the non-unionised employees, will be consulted within a meaningful joint consensus seeking process as mandated by Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA).