NUMSA to work with other unions on Telkom retrenchments
23 January 2020
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) will be working with other unions in the battle to save jobs at Telkom. Our officials met with management yesterday as part of the section 189A consultation after it announced plans to cut 3000 workers out of a total workforce of nine thousand. We share the concerns of other unions that the number could increase to at least six thousand workers because of the impact that this will have on Telkom subsidiaries. It is clear that the working class is being attacked on all fronts and therefore it is necessary for us to unite.
In November last year Telkom recorded a revenue increase of 4.7% to R21.5 bn. Its subscriber customer base increased 75.5% to 11 million, but its fixed-voice and interconnection revenue fell by 19.1%. The CEO Sipho Maseko is also highly regarded in business circles for ‘turning Telkom around’. But it is clear to us that one of the mechanisms which is being used to measure his performance is his ability to shed jobs. Telkom confirmed that total permanent jobs, as of 31 March 2019 had shrunk to 15,296 from 17,472 in financial year 2018, after it cut 13.4% permanent jobs.
NUMSA was only notified of the meeting the day before the consultation was due to take place and we raised a strong objection against this as it is in contravention of the act. We had previously sent a communique to Telkom management seeking a date for the meeting and they failed to reply. Our members would have been severely prejudiced because we were unable to properly prepare. The other unions supported this motion hence it was agreed that fresh notification would be issued, with the next meeting being on the 5th and 6th of February.
We support the call made by SAFTU our federation calling for all working-class formations and organizations of the poor to forge maximum unity and fight this job loss scourge together. We agree with comrade ZwelinzimaVavi the General secretary of SAFTU when he says,
“This year must go down in the history of our country as the year that the poorest and the broadest front of the working class buried fragmentation and reached out to one another to fight to say – one is enough!”
Aluta continua!
The struggle continues!
Issued by Phakamile Hlubi-Majola, NUMSA National Spokesperson, 23 January 2020
