Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri is willing to meet with the three unions at Telkom to discuss the fixed-line monopoly’s retrenchment proposals, her spokesperson Donovan Cloete said on Thursday.
”The meeting will happen. The minister will engage with the unions,” he said.
The unions said on Thursday they are pleased that she has ”joined in the debate” on the matter.
The minister said on Wednesday the fixed-line telephone monopoly will have to explain its retrenchment plans concerning 4 000 workers.
”We have asked Telkom to explain why it is reported that no consultation has taken place, as the law requires this and Telkom must act according to the law,” Matsepe-Casaburri said.
The unions said on Thursday: ”The way in which the retrenchments have been handled until now is an embarrassment for both Telkom and the government and it has become time for the embarrassment to cease.”
The trade unions concerned are Solidarity, the Communication Workers’ Union and the South African Communication Union.
Solidarity spokesperson Dirk Hermann said in a statement that the unions will explain their plans for a moratorium and comprehensive study to the minister.
”We now have to begin looking for solutions to the problem. Telkom surely must have realised by now that their inexplicable hurry to get rid of people is unseemly in the eyes of everyone but themselves.
”In the light of Telkom’s R4,5-billion profit and the fact that a second fixed-line operator is not even on the horizon there can be no reason for its scramble to get rid of people.”
The unions further called on Telkom to join its commission of inquiry into the Telkom retrenchments and that ”the advisers [to the commission] should be augmented by joint agreement between Telkom and the trade unions”.
”We should in particular like to suggest that international telecommunications experts be employed to offer advice.” — Sapa