Opportunity for the government to provide solution to job crisis at SABC

THE DECISION by Parliament to allow for a debate on the SABC crisis would point to the state of intervention by government.

The SABC has been gripped by fears of job losses after the board and management issued dismissal letters to hundreds of employees.

This is in a bid to cut 400 jobs at the public broadcaster.

This is based on a decision by the board and senior management that it would save millions of rand from the wage bill.

But unions and political parties would have none of it, and want the board to come with alternative solutions.

Both workers, unions and parties say the SABC cannot be cutting jobs at a time when there is already a crisis of unemployment in the country. Statistics SA issued a report a few months ago that the economy had lost 2.2 million jobs during the national lockdown.

But the fight for jobs at the SABC is at the centre of how the government will respond.

This is a test for the government to provide a solid solution to the job crisis at the SABC.

Parliament’s intervention will escalate the crisis as it has not been immediately addressed.

The SABC has postponed its decision to cut jobs by 30 days to allow for further consultation.

This is the time to find that solution. The debate will shape the direction the SABC may take going forward.

One of the unions has even gone to the Labour Court to force the SABC to halt the retrenchments.

This crisis has to come to a stop quickly and the government must intervene.

The SABC has been in serious financial trouble for many years and has not recorded a profit in a number of years.

This is a challenge that must be addressed and the workers have complained that they are being held responsible for the poor decisions of the public broadcaster.

But the government needs to move quickly and resolve the crisis.