The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the Broadcasting Electronic Media and Allied Worker’s Union (Bemawu) have signed an 8.5% wage increase agreement across the board.

The two parties had deadlocked and the matter was referred to the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). The union was then issued with a certificate of non-resolution.

Under the agreement, SABC employees will also get a R1500 once-off payment. However, the SABC and another union, Communication Worker’s Union (CWU), are still in talks.

SABC Acting Group COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng is hopeful that an agreement will be reached soon.

“They still have some outstanding issues that I cannot talk about but we are in discussion with them. I hope by Wednesday we will finalise our discussion and they will come onboard and sign,” says Motsoeneng.

“A union is never happy with any settlement but we believe that under the circumstances we have done the best that we could,” says Bemawu president Hannes Du Buisson.

Du Buisson says that overall, it is not a bad increase for the SABC staff in comparison with wage increases in the private sector.
Source: http://www.sabc.co.za