Friday, 30 April 2010

SABC failed to pay Radio 2000 staff

More than 40 employees at Radio 2000 has, for the second time this year not been paid by the SABC. Workers are threatening now to down tools if they don’t get paid immediately. Some workers already went home whilst other obtained legal advice from BEMAWU to embark on a strike. Should the SABC not pay our members immediately, we will start legal action against the SABC, which may include a strike. As most of these employees are technical staff, producers and on-air presenters, it may result in a total blackout for Radio 2000.

It is shocking and confirms our suspicion that SABC Management has no or little regard for employee rights. It is the worst treatment after dismissing an employee to not pay employees their hard earned and often very small salaries. Employees have financial responsibilities, they must pay their bills, they must buy food, they must put in petrol and pay their car installments. How are they going to do this without their salaries? But if you earn a big, inflated salary like the Management of the SABC,  you obviously don’t feel the same pinch, and you make sure your salary is paid in time.

Wednesday, 21 April 2010

Vote please

BEMAWU members are urged to vote in the latest poll re salary negotiations at http://www.bemawu.org.za/

Remember to register with your own username and password and to log on after you have received a confirmation e-mail with the same username and password. Your SABC username and password will NOT work unless you use it to register on the site.

ONLY BEMAWU members will be given access to the site.

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

New Shift Patterns

Dear Keobokile,

We are concerned about the turnaround times from your departments. Several letters (and issues) are still unanswered and we will be now compelled to declare disputes in all of those issues. The SAFM issue, where one of our members have been removed off air for no apparent reason is one such issue.

We have corresponded and communicated with your office about the News Studio Crews and the unilateral changes going on there at the moment. Hereunder a complaint by one of our members, which is self explanatory:

Johnny Manamela had a meeting with the permanent studio production news crew. In this meeting he said that negotiations were entered into with all the unions concerned, and after negotiations, he received a directive from Employee Relations at the SABC to go ahead with his proposed shift roster for May 2010.
 
I said to him that he is in breach of the Sabc's time management principles, on one point, that his proposed changes do not take into account that we are to be given two 60 hour breaks, one of which must include a weekend, to this he added that he has complied with the rules. His proposal is that we work a 4 day on 2day off, 4day on 1 day off schedule. I do not see how this can be allowed.
 
Another is that, I was not consulted, but merely informed of these changes, and asked if an impact study of these changes was done.
 
He says that with the old system we are constantly under utilized, and if that is the case then, our unsociable hour allocation be re-negotiated, as this in unfair.”

This clearly is a unilateral change to terms and conditions of employment, and an unlawful one too. We urge you to instruct Manamela to stop the implementation of this unilateral change, failing we will file a dispute and urgent interdict and we will organize a strike at News Studios. Should we not receive an undertaking within three (3) days from this letter that the unilateral changes will be stopped, we will proceed with the mentioned actions.

Sincerely,

Hannes du Buisson
BEMAWU President
 

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

Increase of staff

Extraxt of our submission to Parliament

15.1. There was an overall increase of 50% in Senior and Middle management in this period.

15.2. In the same period the workforce or so-called First Citizens only increased by three percent (3%). (See document 1)

15.3. In Content Enterprises (Content Hub) alone there was an 80% increase in `Senior and Middle management and a reduction of First Citizens orordinary employees of 24%. (Document 2)

15.4. In Corporate Strategy only junior managers and supervisors were appointed and no so-called First Citizens. There was a 300% increase or growth in managers and supervisors in this department.(Document 3).

15.5. In the office of the Group Chief Executive and Regions there was an increase of 400% in seniormanagement and 205% in Middle management.

15.6. This is a total of 625% increase in management in this department. (Document 4)

15.7. Group Finance - 63% increase in Senior and Middle management. (Document 5)

15.8. Group Human Capital Services - increase of 55% in Middle management and a reductions of 11% of bargaining units employees (Document 6)

15.9. Internal Audit - 50% increase in the Middle managers and a 400% increase in Supervisors. (Document 7)

15.10. Legal Services Department - 130% increase in Senior and Middle management. (Document 8)

15.11. News Department - 48% increase in Senior and Middle managementand a 15%decrease of ordinary employees of (Document 9)

15.12. Radio Division - 130% increase in Senior and Middle management and only a 7% increase of ordinary employees (Document 10)

15.13. Regional operations - 80% increase in Senior and Middle management and a 30% decrease of ordinary employees (Document 11)

15.14. Sales and Marketing department - 125% increase in Executive and Senior management and a 10% reduction of ordinary employees. (Document 12)

15.15. Public Broadcasting division - 36% increase in Middle management and only a 3% increase of ordinary employees. (Document 13)

15.16. PBS Television - 97% increase in Senior and Middle management and a 4% reduction of ordinary employees. (Document 14)

15.17. A 440% increase in senior and middle management for PCS whilst ordinary employees only increased by 3%. (See document 15)

15.18. PCS Television - 240% increase in Senior and Middle management. (See document 16)

15.19. In Television in total - 106% increase of Senior and Middle management, while over the same period a 3% decrease of ordinary employees. (See document 17)