Parliament told of big problems at the SABC during listening session with unions; new SABC board has shockingly one had one meeting with unions since appointment of the latest SABC board.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications responsible for oversight of the SABC on Friday had a listening sessions with trade unions at the troubled South African public broadcaster and says it is concerned about a litany of very serious problems and issues it was told about from SABC staffers.

From the meeting held in Sandton it emerged that there's big problems at the SABC that apparently isn't following policy when firing SABC staffers, major issues around the use of freelancers, and other problems.

Shockingly the new SABC board has had only one meeting with unions since they were appointed.

The committee met and listened to The Communication Workers' Union of South Africa (CWU), the Media Workers' Association of SA (Mwasa) and the Broadcasting‚ Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) who all made presentations.

Humphrey Maxegwana, chairperson of the committee says "of major concern" to the committee is allegations of little interaction between the new SABC board and staffers and a "lack of information that trickles down to employees".

"It is concerning that a sub-committee of the board has had only one meeting with unions in order to find solutions to challenges faced by employees since appointment of the new board," says Humphrey Maxegwana.

The committee is also concerned about the lack of adequate progress of changing "the problematic organisational culture that has taken root within the previous SABC board and management".

Freelance workers is another huge concern  brought up by unions at the meeting.

"Also, the matter of the 26 employees that were fired as well as allegations of medical aid fraud will be raised and a detailed report must be received from management," said Humphrey Maxegwana.

SABC top management to now meet with unions after the Communication Workers Union (CWU) also sends a letter to execs demanding answers about allegations of SABC News corruption, Kenneth Makatees, and changes at SABC News and SAfm without consultation.

The SABC's top management will be meeting with trade unions to try and prevent legal action from trade unions who are unhappy over changes at the public broadcaster's SABC News division, including the revamping of the SABC News (DStv 404) channel on MultiChoice's platform and turning SAfm into a talk radio station.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has sent a letter to the SABC's top executives, similar to the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media  Allied Workers Union (Bemawu), also demanding that the SABC stops implementing sweeping changes in its newsroom without proper consultation, and demanding that the SABC release the report into a recent investigation into allegations of corruption in the SABC News editing division.

In the Bemawu petition, 116 SABC News staffers warn over ongoing allegations of victimisation at the SABC, political interference, Hlaudi Motsoeneng "enforcers" who are still active at the SABC, and sex for jobs at the public broadcaster.

In a letter the CWU demands that the SABC release the findings of a recent investigation into allegations of corruption at SABC news editing.

In the letter the CWU's Billy Matsitse says the trade union "note with concern the challenges at news division, and we request your office facilitate an urgent meeting to address the issues".

The CWU, like Bemawu, is also upset about the ongoing presence of the controversial SABC staffer Kenneth Makatees at the SABC's newsroom in Auckland Park, wanting to know why he is here and not back in Cape Town since his period of acting as head of news has lapsed.

"Rumour is that he is earmarked to take over as head of the 24-hour SABC News channel. Positions cannot be created for pals or individuals. We demand that Kenneth Maketees to immediately assume his position in Cape Town," says the CWU.

"We note with concern the ‘turnaround’ at news without consultation of which it has impact on our members. Talent is brought in from our competitors, and what we see is that they bring their own personnel (crew or their own producers). What will happen to our technical people who have been performing such functions?" says the CWU.

The CWU demands that the SABC explain "the rationale behind the SAfm changes" and want to know why the appointment process for the position of SABC political editor is not transparent.

"We know interviews happened, but Corporation decided otherwise and advertised externally. We want to know why is the SABC ignoring talent from within".

The CWU also wants the SABC's top executives to explain changes to news technical staffers' contracts, since contracts of staffers were not renewed during the Henley and news technical staff merger. "As CWU, we feel that we need to act with speed and resolve the matters raised."

The SABC now says it will be meeting with the unions, following an appearance of SABC top management in parliament this week before the portfolio committee on communications.