WRAP | Prepare for blackout as SABC workers to down tools on Friday

Workers at SABC will "down tools" on Friday at 12pm – this as management has not accepted demands of the Communication Workers Union to terminate the retrenchment process.

The union's general secretary, Aubrey Tshabalala, confirmed the strike in an interview on SABC's news programme SA Today on Thursday. CWU, an affiliate of Cosatu, had given SABC management until 17:00 on Thursday to accept its demands. The downing of tools would essentially amount to a blackout of programming.

The strike will take place at SABC outlets across the country, said Tshabalala. Workers will be protected, he said. A memorandum will be handed over to SABC representatives. The union also wants the broadcaster to be placed under administration, as it does not believe the board is "correctly governed", said Tshabalala.

Staff had engaged in lunchtime pickets on Thursday.

The SABC was thrown into turmoil earlier this week, as staff had refused to accept retrenchment notices being sent to 400 of their colleagues. The retrenchment process is part of plans to restructure the broadcaster and cut costs. On Tuesday, management of the news division had withdrawn notices as staff threatened to cut feeds and walk off. The next day however, staff were notified that the retrenchment process would continue.

The Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu), meanwhile, has also lodged an application with the labour court, to interdict the retrenchment process. According to Bemawu president Hannes du Buisson, the SABC had not consulted sufficiently with unions on the process. SABC management has denied this, saying it exceeded legislative requirements.

Prior to CWU announcing the strike, SABC's group executive of human resources Dr Mojaki Mosia appeared on SA Today, indicating that management could not work contrary to the resolution of the board; it would amount to insubordination. He, however, said that management had noted the request of organised labour. Mosia said SABC workers were given the option to select voluntary severance packages or the offer of early retirement, to minimise the number of employees affected by the s189.

As the board holds an emergency meeting to chart the way forward, here are some figures that illustrate the challenges in the public service broadcaster and how they have led to the SABC's current predicament.

Mosia said SABC workers were given options to select voluntary severance packages, as well as offering early retirement, to minimise those affected by the s189. 

Earlier, in an interview on the broadcaster's programme SA Today, Dr Mojaki Mosia, group executive of Human Resources at the SABC said the request of organised labour would be noted, unless the executive is directed differently to the resolution of the board - which is to restructure the organisation.

"I think the question is -  can we work contrary to the resolution of the board, and the answer is no, we can't." he explained it would be "insubordination" to act differently. 

Tshabalala said that the union wants to see the SABC placed under administration, as it believes the board is not "correctly" governed.

Workers will down tools at all SABC outlets across the country, said Aubrey Tshabalala, general secretary of the CWU.

He said workers would be protected - whether they are union members or not.

He said there would be no intimidation or threats of disciplinary hearings. 

A memorandum will also be handed over to SABC representatives at each outlet.

SABC workers will go on strike on Friday at 12pm, said Communications Workers Union general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala.

He confirmed the strike action in an interview on SABC's programme SA Today.

This comes as management has not accepted demands to terminate retrenchments.

Bemawu, which represents some 1 300 SABC staff, says it has approached the Labour Court to apply for an interdict against retrenchments. 

Five columnists give their view on the SABC debacle - on what went wrong and what should happen going forward if the public broadcaster is going to be saved.

The Communication Workers Union has given the SABC until 5pm to withdraw the retrenchment letters, otherwise a strike will go ahead on Friday.

Tshabalala says the Communications Workers Union represents some 900 workers at the SABC. He says the broadcaster may face a blackout if management fails to heed their call to reverse redundancy letters. Tshabalala sounded a warning to the SABC board Chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini, saying he does not understand the power of workers.

The Communication Workers Union is joined by the leadership of Cosatu. The federation's President, Zingiswa Losi, says the federation is of the view that the SABC has taken a "bad decision" in resolving to cut jobs, particularly at a time when the country is dealing with high unemployment.

"Workers cannot be the first to leave when they do not sit in boardrooms where decisions are taken," says Losi.

Aubrey Tshabalala, the Spokesperson of Communication Workers Union, one of the unions representing workers at the SABC, is addressing a media conference on the events that have taken place in the past few days at the public broadcaster. The union has given the SABC an ultimatum to reverse all the letters of dismissal issued to staff.  Tshabalala says workers will embark on a strike as from Friday if the letters are not withdrawn.

SABC staff, meanwhile, are feeling "traumatised and emotional" amid uncertainty about their futures at the public broadcaster.  

"We are still holding on, not sure what will finally happen," an employee tells News24 reporters Riaan Grobler and Lwandile Bhengu. 

At radio station RSG the 5 permanent presenters – Martelize Brink, Johan Rademan, Fritz Klaaste, Jacqui January and Haidee Muller – have all received letters saying their services will be terminated from 1 December, reports Channel24. 

Fin24 columnist Khaya Sithole has looked what is facing Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams. 

As Fin24 editor Ron Derby has written in an opinion piece, the current crisis at the SABC was a long time coming. 

As a week of high drama at public broadcaster the SABC continues, unions are set to brief the media on Thursday morning about a possible strike. 

The SABC was thrown into turmoil earlier in the week after staff refused to accept retrenchment notices being sent to 400 of their colleagues. The notices would have kicked off the start of a process that have had ended in job losses, as the broadcaster seeks to cut costs.  

Management appeared to withdraw the notices following a backlash which included employees threatening to cut feeds and walk off, only to send staff an email on Wednesday to say that the retrenchment process would continue. 

Thursday's briefing will be held by the Communication Workers Union, together with officials from labour union federation Cosatu. 

Fin24 will be following developments at the cash-strapped broadcaster throughout the day.