Workers at the once popular Naledi Sun Casino in Thaba-Nchu in the Free State are facing a bleak future after the announcement by management that it intends to shut down operations due to financial difficulties.
The casino employs 66 people and falls under the Sun International Group. Management cited years of ongoing losses and the current lockdown for its financial woes.
Free State South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU) regional secretary, Jerry Mmoneri, says they will challenge the company’s decision.
“They know that they have a responsibility to consult properly with representative union in this case company chose not to consult with the union. We already instructed our legal team to start process of challenging we will do everything in our power to ensure we secure jobs there.”
Other looming retrenchments:
South African Airways (SAA) Business Rescue Practitioners have started their retrenchment process. They say the intention has always been to preserve as many jobs as possible while still focusing on having a sustainable airline with a platform for growth.
SAA entered a form of bankruptcy protection in December 2019, with administrators taking over management of the state-owned airline. The practitioners, Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana, say the airline has accumulated losses of about R26 billion over the past six years.
National Transport Movement, one of the unions operating at SAA, voice its concerns over the move in the video below:
Telkom retrenchments.
Telkom recently announced job cuts in its wholesale division Openserve, consumer unit and its corporate centre. In a letter to unions, Telkom said the planned job cuts will be managed in phases, with the first phase under way in April.
Trade union Solidarity says contingency plans should have been put in place at Telkom to mitigate the need for retrenchments.
Telkom gives clarity on the process:
