The trade union Solidarity on Wednesday said it has requested the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to appoint an independent arbiter to deal with the retrenchment process at dual listed telecommunications giant Telkom.
The first consultative meeting between Telkom and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), comprising Solidarity and the South African Communications Union (SACU), is to take place on Friday, at CCMA House in Johannesburg, and will be chaired by independent commissioner Afzal Mosam.
Solidarity chief secretary in the telecommunications industry Danie de Wet said that there is a perception that Telkom is bent on carrying out the retrenchment procedures and does not appear to be interested in looking at ways in which jobs may be saved.
“Telkom has given the unions a cut-off date of August 31 by which time the dismissals have to have been completed and the first 1 381 workers have to vacate their jobs.”
Solidarity added that it would resist such attempts on Telkom’s part.
“The thought that more than 4 100 Telkom workers are due to lose their jobs over the next three years speaks volumes about the company’s social accountability.
“If Telkom is unwilling to shoulder its responsibilities the trade union will compel the company to do so”, De Wet said.
Attempts by I-Net Bridge to get a response from Telkom were unsuccessful. – I-Net Bridge