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
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