SABC unions eye strike as salary talks stall

Unions at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) are threatening industrial action after salary negotiations deadlocked, the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) said on Wednesday.

The broadcaster met three of its unions—the Broadcasting, Electronic Media and Allied Workers’ Union, the CWU and the Media Workers’ Association of South Africa—on Tuesday in Pretoria, where unions demanded a 10.5% increase across the board. The SABC was offering 7.07%, CWU spokesperson Vulture Ntuluki said.

The unions claimed the SABC had not shown commitment throughout the negotiations and had negotiated in bad faith.

They said they had left the door open for the SABC to improve on its current offer, but maintained that taking the matter to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), and a subsequent strike, were possible.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said in a statement that the broadcaster would talk to the unions to try to resolve the impasse. According to the broadcaster’s current dispute resolution process, the parties must first reach a deadlock and then a dispute be registered, followed by a dispute resolution meeting within five days. The matter may then be referred to the CCMA and or labour court.

“The SABC is still confident that through the dispute resolution process outlined, the parties can reach an amicable agreement and continue to focus on the ... turnaround strategy,” he said.—Sapa