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A general view of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) offices in Durban, South Africa.
The Labor Court has rejected an urgent request by a union representing SABC workers to force the public broadcaster to rescind the dismissal letters issued to some 400 workers.
In a brief session on Wednesday, the court ruled that “the applicant’s application is dismissed” with costs, which is likely to cause a setback in the Broadcasting, Electronics, Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) fight for due process. declared irregular and invalid.
The controversial process had divided the SABC board and had reached the halls of Parliament.
Last month, the cash-strapped public broadcaster began issuing layoff letters to 400 employees in a bid to cut their payroll spending. Some of the staff could have applied for new positions.
Speaking to the broadcaster after the ruling, Bemawu President Hannes du Buisson said the union would study the ruling and decide the way forward. He promised to keep fighting.
He insisted that the ruling does not mean an “end of the road for SABC employees.” The union continues to believe that the downsizing process should be stopped.
Meanwhile, the SABC welcomed the ruling. “The Labor Court has … validated that the SABC Section 189 process has been procedurally fair and that all interested parties were afforded a broad opportunity to meaningfully participate,” the public broadcaster said in a release.
Last month, the Minister of Communication and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, announced that the implementation of the section 189 process would be suspended until the end of the year to allow greater consultation among all parties.
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