SABC to proceed with hundreds of retrenchments

The job cuts at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) are going ahead, despite months of talks between the employer and unions. However, the number of staff affected by the move has gone down from 600 to 400.

“After a lengthy consultation process with many stakeholders, the SABC has announced that it is now ready to implement Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act,” said acting SABC spokesperson Mmoni Seapolelo.

Seapolelo said it became clear that reducing staff was part of a difficult but necessary restructuring process at the public broadcaster.

“The SABC is fully cognisant of the fact that this process will affect people’s livelihoods and, moreover, have a knock-on effect on their families and communities. However, having exhausted all other options, we are now faced with the difficult task of having to restructure the organisation to ensure its sustainability,” she said.

There are about 170 vacant positions that will be available for employees to apply for, which provides the potential of further reducing the number of affected employees to 230.

SABC to implement cost-cutting measures

The SABC also intends implementing and considering other cost cutting alternatives including:

• Freezing salary increases for three years;
• Reducing employee leave days from 35 calendar days to 28 days;
• Discontinuing the encashment of leave days;
• Reducing sick leave from 30 days annually to reflect the 36 days in a three-year cycle aligned to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

“Given that this difficult process is emotional and filled with uncertainty for everyone across the organisation, the SABC has asked its employees to make use of its Wellness Department to receive professional and personal counselling,” Seapolelo further said.

The SABC’s Group CEO, Madoda Mxakwe has reiterated that the decision to shed jobs was not an easy one to make.

“An insolvent SABC serves no one, not our employees or our citizens who rely on the SABC for transparent, fair and ethical public broadcasting services. This retrenchment is understandably very challenging for all our stakeholders. However, it is one part of our approved turnaround plan that will help to reposition the SABC to achieve financial sustainability,”

SABC’s Group CEO, Madoda Mxakwe

He said addressing the SABC’s huge cost base, together with recently announced new revenue deals, will ensure that the public broadcaster is able to properly execute its mandate to serve the people of South Africa for decades to come.