600 jobs on the line as SABC talks retrenchment

The SABC said on Thursday that it has issued a “notice of possible redundancies” following consultations with key stakeholders.

This comes one week after the public broadcaster launched what it calls its new “target operating model”, designed to ensure it is self-sufficient and financially sustainable so it doesn’t again have to go to government for a bailout.

The new model was introduced after taxpayers, through national treasury, forked out R3.2-billion to the SABC to bail it out of its dire financial straits.

The new operating model was developed in compliance with national treasury’s bailout preconditions and “has been developed in response to new business requirements and market conditions … as well as the need to effectively implement the approved turnaround strategy”.

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

“The notice of redundancy 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.”

‘Consensus-seeking process’

It said it is doing this to “ensure full transparency, accountability and impartiality in terms of the Labour Relations Act”.

“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 act,” the broadcaster said.

The SABC previously tried to retrench up to a quarter of its permanent workforce, but this was halted by then-communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.   — (c) 2020 NewsCentral Media