http://www.finance24.co.za/Finance/Companies/0,,1518-24_1575098,00.html
Govt wants Telkom to explain
19/08/2004 07:14 - (SA)
Pretoria - Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri is calling fixed-line telephone monopoly Telkom to account for its intention to retrench around 4 000 workers.
In a statement on Wednesday the minister said job creation and job retention was at the centre of government's programme.
"The recently reported retrenchment of workers at Telkom is cause for great concern," Matsepe-Casaburri said.
"We have asked Telkom to explain why it is reported that no consultation has taken place as the law requires this and Telkom must act according to the law."
Matsepe-Casaburri said she recently met Telkom's chairperson and chief executive as well as its group executive for regulatory and public policy.
"At that meeting it was indicated that only about 38 people were likely to be involuntary retrenched because most workers had agreed to voluntary retrenchment, re-skilling and placement in other areas, subsidiaries or other institutions," she said.
The minister said she was concerned about comments attributed to Telkom that it would abide by the decision of the Labour Court but would go ahead next week in implementing the planned voluntary retrenchments.
"An explanation was requested and will be followed up with the chairperson of the board when she returns from an overseas trip," Matsepe-Casaburri said.
She would shortly meet with the Congress of SA Trade Unions-aligned Communication Workers Union, one of three unions that on Sunday won a Labour Court interdict against retrenchments at the company.
The other unions are Solidarity and the Federation of SA Trade Unions-affiliated SA Communication Union.
The unions have jointly appointed a commission of inquiry "to investigate the legal, economic, and technical motivations for Telkom's retrenchments".
Advisers to this commission include economist Dawie Roodt and advocate John Grogan.
Also participating are Charles Snyman, an investment consultant, Peter Benjamin of the Open Knowledge Network, Charley Lewis from the University of the Witwatersrand, legal advisor AC van Wyk, as well as three former senior Telkom managers.
Edited by Mahap Msiza
<b>Personally I think this is just a smokescreen to detract the public away from the fact that the government knows why Telkom is retrenching people. As a current 39.3% shareholder of Telkom they know only to well. And before Telkom's listing, they had 100%. They are on the board and they must of approved the retrenchments. And by this I mean all the retrenchments since the year 2000 when Telkom had 62000 employees. The apple does not fall far from the tree.</b>
<b><hr noshade size="1"></b><font size="2"><font color="red"><b>You can take Telkom out of the Post Office but you can't take the Post Office out of Telkom.</b></font id="red"></font id="size2">
Govt wants Telkom to explain
19/08/2004 07:14 - (SA)
Pretoria - Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri is calling fixed-line telephone monopoly Telkom to account for its intention to retrench around 4 000 workers.
In a statement on Wednesday the minister said job creation and job retention was at the centre of government's programme.
"The recently reported retrenchment of workers at Telkom is cause for great concern," Matsepe-Casaburri said.
"We have asked Telkom to explain why it is reported that no consultation has taken place as the law requires this and Telkom must act according to the law."
Matsepe-Casaburri said she recently met Telkom's chairperson and chief executive as well as its group executive for regulatory and public policy.
"At that meeting it was indicated that only about 38 people were likely to be involuntary retrenched because most workers had agreed to voluntary retrenchment, re-skilling and placement in other areas, subsidiaries or other institutions," she said.
The minister said she was concerned about comments attributed to Telkom that it would abide by the decision of the Labour Court but would go ahead next week in implementing the planned voluntary retrenchments.
"An explanation was requested and will be followed up with the chairperson of the board when she returns from an overseas trip," Matsepe-Casaburri said.
She would shortly meet with the Congress of SA Trade Unions-aligned Communication Workers Union, one of three unions that on Sunday won a Labour Court interdict against retrenchments at the company.
The other unions are Solidarity and the Federation of SA Trade Unions-affiliated SA Communication Union.
The unions have jointly appointed a commission of inquiry "to investigate the legal, economic, and technical motivations for Telkom's retrenchments".
Advisers to this commission include economist Dawie Roodt and advocate John Grogan.
Also participating are Charles Snyman, an investment consultant, Peter Benjamin of the Open Knowledge Network, Charley Lewis from the University of the Witwatersrand, legal advisor AC van Wyk, as well as three former senior Telkom managers.
Edited by Mahap Msiza
<b>Personally I think this is just a smokescreen to detract the public away from the fact that the government knows why Telkom is retrenching people. As a current 39.3% shareholder of Telkom they know only to well. And before Telkom's listing, they had 100%. They are on the board and they must of approved the retrenchments. And by this I mean all the retrenchments since the year 2000 when Telkom had 62000 employees. The apple does not fall far from the tree.</b>
<b><hr noshade size="1"></b><font size="2"><font color="red"><b>You can take Telkom out of the Post Office but you can't take the Post Office out of Telkom.</b></font id="red"></font id="size2">
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