The Broadcasting, Electronic, Media & Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) says it has agreed to temporarily remove the interdict application from the urgent court roll, pending the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) undertaking to further consultation in respect of the Section 189 process.
The public broadcaster has been in consultation with workers’ representatives over the past four months over its plans to retrench around 600 full-time employees. This is part of its restructuring aimed at making the organisation financially sustainable.
The matter was taken to the CCMA:
The urgent application was set down to be heard tomorrow:
Bemawu says that should further consultation not happen, it will place the matter on the roll for the next available date and proceed with the application.
Bemawu is also demanding the immediate reinstatement of all SABC employees who were dismissed at the time TV news anchor, Palesa Chubisi, was pulled off air last month.
This follows yesterday’s Labour Court ruling in Johannesburg that Chubisi’s dismissal was unlawful and invalid.
“Failing which, we will bring the application in the Labour Court to compel the SABC to do so. We believe that those employees should and must be reinstated as the merits of their matter and manner in which they were dismissed is exactly the same as in the Chubisi case. We’re awaiting a reply from the SABC, and we hope that the SABC will not unnecessarily spend public funds, to try and defend an un-defendable,” says Bemawu spokesperson, Hannes du Buisson.
The SABC said it had found that the group had unduly benefited from promotions and jobs.
