The majority of the members of South Africa’s oldest media trade union, the South African Union of Journalists (SAUJ) want the organisation to disband, the outcome of a recent referendum on the matter shows.
Of the 297 members who voted, 229 cast their ballots in favour of winding up the SAUJ.
Only 65 of the 521 eligible voters wanted the SAUJ, first formed in the 1920s, to continue in some form.
Of the 10 branches polled, only the chapter at the South African Press Association (Sapa) voted overwhelmingly in favour of the trade union staying in being.
The Electoral Institute of South Africa (Eisa) supervised a vote at nine newspapers countrywide as well as the South African Press Association in late April to canvas the views of the SAUJ’s members.
A postal ballot was held at the same time and a consolidated set of results were released to the union on Wednesday. The information was made available to members at some branches on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear what effect the outcome of the referendum would have on the operations of the union.
In a memorandum to members in April, the union’s national executive said that after the outcome became known, it would have to meet members to decide a way forward.
”In other words if the decision of members is to wind up the union we will need to meet with you and go through the process. During these discussions we will be able to hear your views as to whether an amalgamation [with another union] would be possible, whether it should be pursued, whether members have claims and so on,” a copy obtained by Sapa said.
It was not yet decided when this process would start. — Sapa