Fin24 reports that Independent Newspapers, which publishes titles such as The Cape Times, The Star and Isolezwe, is contemplating cutting 115 editorial and production jobs in a bid to remain sustainable in a harsh operating environment.
The newspaper group sent a so-called section 189 notice to unions on Friday indicating that it wanted to hold consultations ahead of the possible dismissals. The media group's CEO, Takudzwa Hove, said in the letter that Independent Newspapers could "no longer maintain a high, largely fixed cost structure considering the declining revenue base and evolving operating processes". The letter added: "The loss of revenue and non-profitability of titles, which was evident prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, has worsened and continues to decline." Hove said the proposed cuts would result in "leaner and more dynamic functional teams" and that the group was struggling to compete with competitors who had already downsized their newsrooms. The proposed cuts appear not to impact staff at Independent Online, the online sister site to Independent Newspapers, which is an indirect subsidiary of businessman Iqbal Survé's Sekunjalo group. In his letter, Hove said talks would be held with staff next month to see if they could hash out any alternatives to dismissals. The letter comes a few weeks after the publisher proposed voluntary severance packages to staff.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jan Cronje at Fin24 (subscriber access only)
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