Avusa to retrench 11 reporters

Media group Avusa has issued notices of retrenchment to at least 11 journalists, including some editors of the Sowetan newspaper, the Media Workers’ Association of SA (Mwasa) said on Tuesday.

“Avusa sent us a notice on October 28, which identified 11 positions within the Sowetan newspaper. They said these were redundant positions,” said Mwasa general secretary Puwani Gumani.

“That’s not a fixed number—other areas and more people may be affected.”

Acting editor-in-chief Bongani Keswa said Sowetan was “restructuring”.

“Whether there will be retrenchments or not, we do not know.

It all depends on the number of positions available after the restructuring,” Keswa said.

Gumani said the union was not happy with the fact that Avusa was intending to retrench only Sowetan staff.

“Avusa is a big company, why are they isolating the Sowetan?”

He said the union intended to take legal action over the retrenchments. - Sapa