The bloated SABC could fire 800 staffers to try and reduce the commercially insolvent broadcaster's staggering wage bill as one of the unions has now warned members that it will "vehemently fight any job cuts at the SABC".
After getting rid of fixed-term contract and freelance workers at its SABC News (DStv 404) channel who were told to pack up their desks and leave this past Friday, according to weekend reports the SABC is now allegedly planning to fire up to 800 workers in an attempt to bring its R1.2 billion annual salary expenditure under control.
Around 3 000 of the SABC's staff headcount are permanent employees, while the rest are fixed-term and freelance workers.
A staggering two-thirds of the commercially insolvent SABC's expenditure goes to just paying staffers, although just 60% are directly involved in programming. The SABC is supposed to spend the bulk of its money on creating and broadcasting content.
The SABC allegedly now wants to try and shave R500 million of the broadcaster's expenditure that is once again hovering on the verge of financial collapse and just posted its 8th consecutive, annual loss of R622 million for the financial year until the end of March 2018.
On Monday morning at 06:30 unionised SABC staffers were told by Bemawu that the trade union would vehemently fight against any job cuts at the public broadcaster.
In a memo TVwithThinus saw, SABC staffers were told that the trade union has noted with concern sources talking about the allegedly planned 800 staff cuts, saying "we believe not only legally, but also morally, the SABC was obliged to inform us that they contemplate cutting at least 800 jobs".
"We have seeked urgent legal advice and possible intervention to ensure your rights will be protected at all times. The process seems to be advanced if a number of at least 800 jobs have been decided on, unless the SABC arbitrarily decided to simply cut a number of jobs."
"We do not believe the SABC would be able to function at all with 800 people less, as currently we have a shortage of staff in many areas. Be assured Bemawu will vehemently fight any job cuts at the SABC."
