Staff Reporter.
The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says its blackout at the SABC sent a strong message to management that it had failed in its duty to run the public broadcaster.
Unions at the state broadcaster have ended their four-hour long blackout on Friday against the planned retrenchments.
Employees have downed tools this week after the SABC forged ahead with its plans to retrench just over 300 permanent staff as part of its restructuring process.
The union’s Aubrey Tshabalala said they would intensify their strike action in the coming days if their demands were not meet.
“We are satisfied even though there were some serious tactics played by the SABC. But in general, I think the call has been heeded, that’s what is think it’s important. It sent a message to the board, the employers themselves, that they cannot do the normal work of these workers that they intend to dismiss.”
The SABC implemented contingency plans during the blackout.
Meanwhile SABC has welcomed the Labour Court’s dismissal of the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media & Allied Workers Union’s (Bemawu) application for leave to appeal an earlier judgment in favour of the SABC’s handling of the Section 189 process that could see over 300 workers lose their jobs.
This after the Labour court dismissed Bemawu’s application with costs to declare the Section 189 process irregular in December.
Bemawu wanted the process to be declared irregular and procedurally unfair. But the court on Friday dismissed its appeal with costs. SABC COO Ian Plaatjes explains:
According to the statement released by the broadcaster, the court “ruled that there was simply no reasonable prospects that another court could come to a different conclusion, based on the facts presented by Bemawu and their failure to prove that there was a material failure in the Section 189 process.”
The SABC said, “The Labour Court has – once again – validated the SABC’s Section 189 process as being procedurally fair and that all participating stakeholders were afforded ample opportunity to engage meaningfully.”