Fiin24 reports that the Portfolio Committee on Communications was briefed on Tuesday on the 2019/20 annual report of the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
There were certain tradeoffs that would have to be made to reduce the number of possible retrenchments at the public broadcaster, MPs heard. In addition to the SABC executive team and board chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini, who attended the virtual briefing, Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Pinky Kekana also weighed in on the section 189 (retrenchment) process launched at the SABC last year as part of its restructuring. Four proposals previously put forward by the board had indicated a reduction of potential job losses from 600 to 303. "If the unions will not accept [the four alternatives] we will go back to square one with 600 retrenchments," Kekana warned. The options included a wage freeze over the next three years, which could see the SABC save over R300 million. Other options were to reduce annual leave from 35 days to 28 days, which would affect employees at management level. Sick leave would likewise be reduced from 30 days per year to 36 days over a three-year cycle – in line with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The board also wanted the practice of cashing out of leave days to be discontinued, Kekana told Parliament. The fourth option was a section 197 process in terms of the Labour Relations Act involving a business transfer that would affect the call centre and TV licence operations. Dr Mojaki Mosia, group HR executive, explained that the alternative would be people not having jobs. Mosia highlighted that accepting the four options would be critical in the SABC's turnaround. He added that potential retrenchments could be even fewer than 300 as 170 vacancies would have to be filled through the restructuring process.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Lameez Omarjee at Fin24
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