SABC starts with retrenchment process
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has issued a notice to its employees that the company intends to proceed with retrenchments.
Some 981 full-time employees and 1 200 freelances will soon be without a job at the embattled state-owned entity.
“All employees at all levels in the SABC will be affected by the restructuring,” said the public broadcaster in a statement on Monday evening.
In September, the National Treasury gave the cash-strapped public broadcaster permission to borrow R1.2 billion from banks.
“This exercise should result in a cost saving of approximately R440 million per annum, even at this preliminary stage,” its said.
The SABC vowed that it followed all due legal processes after trade union Bemawu criticised officials for not setting a clear plan in place for the layoffs.
It has vowed that the process of restructuring the public broadcaster to make it more financially viable and “commits to complying with all the legal requirements”.
“At this stage, and should retrenchments be necessary, it is envisaged that 981 employees may possibly be retrenched as a result of the restructuring,” the public broadcaster says.