COSATU’s Acting National spokesperson and parliamentary coordinator, Matthew Parks, has expressed deep concern over the lack of salary increases for South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) staff in recent years, despite high inflation rates.
The public broadcaster has been facing financial difficulties amidst growing competition in the digital broadcasting landscape.
Employees of the SABC have been embroiled in a dispute over salary increases, with the broadcaster citing financial constraints, especially after funding a six percent wage increase implemented last year.
Parks emphasised that COSATU is advocating for immediate action and is seeking feedback from the National Treasury.
“With the staff of the SABC and the Post Office, we’ve been concerned about the horrific conditions these workers have been forced to work through for several years now. We’ve seen the SABC staff workers not receiving an increase for several years now. A few years ago, some of the staff were retrenched and made to come back as freelance workers but minus the job security and benefits and pension and medical aid that they once enjoyed,” says Parks.
“We are pleased that there’s a wage offer for SABC staff on the table but it should be backdated to the beginning of the financial year. We’ve had a meeting with the Minister of Communications and the SABC board with proposals on how we think it could be saved,” asserted Parks.
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