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The SABC describes the current financial crisis as “the most critical for the future and sustainability of this 84-year-old institution.”
- The SABC said that viewers and listeners would not be met with dead air or blank screens due to any action by the striking union.
- The statement warned that there would be consequences against any employee found to be involved in the planned outage.
- The unions have not moved in their demonstrations and litigation and have maintained that they will not stop until the reduction plans are eliminated.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation issued a statement Friday afternoon saying it had “contingency plans” to keep broadcasting, despite threats from the Communications Workers Union to cause a blackout at the station through a strike. .
The SABC announced at midnight that it would suspend plans to initiate downsizing consultations in accordance with Article 189 of the Labor Relations Act following pressure from the Department of Communications and the unions to archive the planned consultations.
While the Broadcasting, Electronics, Media and Allied Workers Union has pledged to litigate against the planned downsizing process, the CWU has threatened to go on strike and cause a blackout on television channels and radio stations. of the station.
But the SABC said it was prudent with the CWU’s plans and used a statement to promise that SABC viewers and listeners would not be faced with dead air or blank screens due to any action by the striking union.
“The SABC is fully aware of a plan to create a blackout on our platforms. We can confirm that there are contingency plans that will be activated immediately in the event of this self-induced crisis precipitating,” the statement read.
The statement warned that there would be consequences against any employee found to be involved in the planned outage.
“We want to assure the public that we remain committed to fulfilling our public mandate to inform, educate and entertain South Africans, regardless of any planned misconduct or discipline,” the statement said.
SABC stressed that as a public service announcer, he had a responsibility to stay on the air to inform, educate and entertain the South African public.
“The SABC has a legal duty and public mandate to provide uninterrupted radio and television services for millions of South Africans, noting that many households depend primarily on the SABC for their information,” the statement said.
Despite the SABC’s announcement that the downsizing consultations would be suspended for seven days, the unions have not moved in their protests and disputes and have maintained that they will not stop until the downsizing plans are scrapped.
