Thursday, 12 June 2008

Salary Negotiations - 12 June 2008

Salary Negotiations for the financial year 2008/2009 resumed on 11 June 2008.

The SABC has made a revised offer of 7.8% ATB increase to SABC employees. BEMAWU (and other unions) has put a counter demand of 14.2% ATB - applicable to ALL OUR MEMBERS, plus the following other critical issues :

1. A R16 800 p.a Housing Subsidy for all members of BEMAWU in the Bargaining Unit.
2. The conversion of Fixed Term Contracts to Permanent Contracts for all BEMAWU members currently employed on fixed term contracts in permanent positions.
3. Gym Subsidy of R720 p.a for all BEMAWU members
4. Meal Subsidy R 106 per month for all BEMAWU members.

REMEMBER - THE NEGOTIATIONS TEAM IS GETTING ITS MANDATE FROM THE SABC BOARD!

The SABC Negotiations Team refused to negotiate on the issues of an increase in housing subsidy, the conversion of fixed term contracts, a gym subsidy and a meal subsidy as they had no mandate from the Board to do so.

Putting it differently - The SABC Board does not believe you should receive an increase on your housing subsidy. The SABC Board does not believe you should be assisted to join a gym to regularly exercise with all the benefits a healthy employee brings to a company. The SABC Board does not believe you should have security and stability of employment by converting your fixed term contract, which they keep on renewing, to a permanent contract.

The SABC Negotiations Team also refused to consider BEMAWU's proposal that a salary increase must be applicable to ALL of its members. The SABC Board wants to exclude BEMAWU members on scale code 130 and above.

The SABC Board therefore wants to discourage a certain group of employees to exercise their constitutional right to belong to and participate in the lawful activities of a trade union, of which salary negotiations is part of.

The SABC Board has lots of money to WASTE on litigation but they plead poverty when it comes to a salary increase.
The SABC Board has lots of time to WASTE to pick frivolous and political fights with Group Executive, but no time to ensure a speedy settlement of the salary negotiations.
The SABC Board has lots of energy to WASTE on meetings (which they get paid for!)to (now for the third time) try to suspend the GCE, but no energy to strategically attend to important matters like salary negotiations, staff regrading issues and to UNITE rather than to DIVIDE the SABC.

The SABC Negotiations Team indicated that they will take our proposal to the Board and give feedback today.

We will keep you posted here on new developments. The negotiations are set down for three days.

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