Solidarity tackles SABC in Labour Court on suspension and disciplining of journalists

18 July 2016

This week Solidarity will approach the Labour Court to obtain an urgent interdict against the SABC. In so doing, the trade union wants to have the suspension and disciplinary action against several SABC journalists set aside pending the adjudication by the Constitutional Court of the lawfulness of the SABC’s censorship instructions.

This comes after the SABC still failed to withdraw the charges against the journalists for their refusal to apply censorship. In a recent letter to the suspended and disciplined journalists, the SABC also accused them of having allegedly committed “further misbehaviour” by informing the media of their suspensions and their continued refusal to comply with the SABC’s instructions.

Solidarity Chief Executive Dr Dirk Hermann says to suspend or discipline employees because they have distanced themselves from an unlawful instruction amounts to an unfair labour practice. “We therefore believe that the individuals concerned have a very strong case against the SABC for the very reason that the charges laid against them by their employer are inconsistent with the Constitution,” Hermann said.

Issued by Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive, Solidarity, 18 July 2016