Unions threaten full-blown strike at SABC

Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) held a lunchtime picket outside the SABC headquarters in Auckland Park on Friday. 

Workers at SABC offices across the country also embarked on a lunchtime picket. 

The broadcaster plans to retrench 900 permanent employees and 1500 freelancers. 

“The message we are sending to the SABC is that they are starting a wrong fight. What they need to do is to wage a fight against corruption. They should look at themselves and the executives, it shouldn’t be that some people are being paid R12 million a year and yet they just want to look at the people who have nothing to do with decision making at the SABC and retrench them. That is just scapegoating,” said Cosatu in Gauteng’s Thabang Sonyathi. 

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Among the demands, is the speeding up of the digital terrestrial television migration to build capacity at the SABC. 

“A strategic idea has got to be brought forth to save the state organ which belongs to the people of this country. As the CWU and Bemawu, we have been raising concerns about maladministration at the SABC and those have been falling on deaf ears. Now management and the new board they sought it necessary to save the organisation by retrenching workers. They want to further claim the victory that is artificial by retrenching workers. For them to create artificial profits it means that the unemployment rate has increased,” said CWU’s Ntombikayise Khumalo.

The unions are also calling for the salaries of the executives to be cut by 40%. 

The broadcaster has been given seven days to withdraw the retrenchment plans.