TechCentralTechCentral
    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    NEWSLETTER
    • News

      Google’s giant Equiano Internet cable has landed in South Africa

      8 August 2022

      The African tech start-ups eyeing global markets

      8 August 2022

      Karpowership loses bid to overturn environmental ruling

      8 August 2022

      New app launched to tackle potholes in South Africa

      8 August 2022

      Rogue database felled Capitec in its worst-ever IT outage

      7 August 2022
    • World

      Nvidia issues profit warning on slump in demand for graphics cards

      8 August 2022

      Buterin: Mining on Ethereum Classic won’t affect Merge

      8 August 2022

      Musk challenges Twitter CEO to a public debate

      7 August 2022

      Amazon splashes $1.7-billion on Roomba maker iRobot

      5 August 2022

      Nigeria asks Google to block banned groups from YouTube

      5 August 2022
    • In-depth

      The length of Earth’s days has been increasing – and no one knows why

      7 August 2022

      As Facebook fades, the Mad Men of advertising stage a comeback

      2 August 2022

      Crypto breaks the rules. That’s the point

      27 July 2022

      E-mail scams are getting chillingly personal

      17 July 2022

      Webb telescope’s stunning images of the cosmos

      12 July 2022
    • Podcasts

      How South Africa can woo more women into tech

      4 August 2022

      Book and check-in via WhatsApp? FlySafair is on it

      28 July 2022

      Interview: Why Dell’s next-gen PowerEdge servers change the game

      28 July 2022

      Demystifying the complexity of AI – fact vs fiction

      6 July 2022

      How your organisation can triage its information security risk

      22 June 2022
    • Opinion

      SIU seeks to set aside R215-million IT tender

      19 July 2022

      No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

      11 July 2022

      Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

      8 July 2022

      South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

      4 July 2022

      Has South Africa’s advertising industry lost its way?

      21 June 2022
    • Company Hubs
      • 1-grid
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Amplitude
      • Atvance Intellect
      • Axiz
      • BOATech
      • CallMiner
      • Digital Generation
      • E4
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • IBM
      • Kyocera Document Solutions
      • Microsoft
      • Nutanix
      • One Trust
      • Pinnacle
      • Skybox Security
      • SkyWire
      • Tarsus on Demand
      • Videri Digital
      • Zendesk
    • Sections
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud computing
      • Consumer electronics
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Energy
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Motoring and transport
      • Public sector
      • Science
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home»News»Telkom strike averted

    Telkom strike averted

    News By Sunil Gopal30 March 2015
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Telkom's head office complex in downtown Pretoria
    Telkom’s head office complex in downtown Pretoria

    It appears that a potentially crippling strike at Telkom has been averted. The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which had threatened to take its members out on strike over grievances, now appears to have accepted an offer made by the company.

    The union’s general secretary, Aubrey Tshabalala, says he is encouraged by talks with Telkom management over the future plans for the operator.

    Last week, the CWU threatened to go on strike after talks over voluntary severance and early retirement packages fell through.

    On Thursday last week, CWU members held a protest outside the offices of the department of telecommunications and postal services in Pretoria. Protesters called for the heads of Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko and chief procurement officer Ian Russell, with placards stating “Fit for the Future … Reconnect, Retrenchment, Outsourcing … what’s next Ian and Sipho.”

    The protest came after talks with Telkom reached an impasse, with the union withholding its majority consent on the voluntary severance and early retirement packages. The union also expressed its concerns with the proposed outsourcing of various functions.

    In February, Telkom announced plans to restructure its business, outsourcing noncore operations, rationalising its IT systems and closing retail stores, among other cost-saving moves.

    The company promised to keep job losses to a minimum and denied a claim by labour union Solidarity at the time that job cuts are planned in its field service (maintenance) division.

    Telkom agreed to the make voluntary severance and early retirement packages available to employees affected by Telkom’s current restructuring initiatives. The plan has already been accepted by the two other unions recognised by Telkom, namely the South African Communications Union and Solidarity.

    Tshabalala says the CWU is “firmly opposed to a reduction of jobs through retrenchments”.

    “While we are not necessarily agreeing with outsourcing, the ownership of those companies must come to workers in the form of cooperatives.”

    He says the union has taken the matter to the ANC to share views on how Telkom’s restructuring plans might affect South Africa as a “developmental state” while still allowing the company to be competitive.

    “We are encouraged that the Communication Workers Union has indicated that it will extend the voluntary severance packages and voluntary early retirement packages to its members,” says Telkom spokesman Jacqui O’Sullivan. “However, a signed variation agreement is required from the CWU before Telkom can formally extend the offer.”  — © 2015 NewsCentral Media

    Communication Workers Union CWU Sipho Maseko Telkom Ian Russell
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleThe forces transforming television
    Next Article Sapa meets its final deadline

    Related Posts

    Google’s giant Equiano Internet cable has landed in South Africa

    8 August 2022

    The African tech start-ups eyeing global markets

    8 August 2022

    Karpowership loses bid to overturn environmental ruling

    8 August 2022
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Promoted

    You don’t need a call centre to take advantage of call centre technology

    5 August 2022

    Black man, you are still on your own

    5 August 2022

    UC&C interoperability offers businesses operational cost relief in tough times

    4 August 2022
    Opinion

    SIU seeks to set aside R215-million IT tender

    19 July 2022

    No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

    11 July 2022

    Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

    8 July 2022

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2022 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.