TimesLIVE reports that finance union Sasbo has threatened a "total shutdown" of the banking industry if its demands for minimal retrenchments in the sector are not heeded.
General secretary Joe Kokela said the union planned to strike over two days next month against job losses in the private sector. He claimed that Standard Bank planned to retrench 6,000 employees, Nedbank 3,000 employees and Absa 878 employees. But, Standard Bank poured cold water on the claim, and Nedbank said it did not have plans to cut 3,000 jobs, while fewer than 100 employees remained unplaced following a reorganisation process at the bank. Kokela insisted that his figures were correct. The union claimed there had been an increase of notices served on Sasbo to attend to retrenchment process consultations. He advised that the planned two-day strike, with the date in September still to be determined, would be held under Section 77 of the Labour Relations Act, which gives workers the right to take part in protest action to promote or defend their socio-economic interests while enjoying protection against dismissal and other disciplinary action. Kokela said they wanted the banks to consider options other than retrenchments and to re-skill employees whose positions were at risk.
- Read the full original of the above report by Ernest Mabuza at TimesLIVE
- Read too, Planned job cuts in banking sector motivated by greed, says Sasbo, at EWN
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