Johannesburg - The Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Monday demanded that Gupta-owned television station ANN7 reinstate eight employees who were dismissed last week for allegedly refusing to be addressed by ANC Youth League president Collen Maine in April.
Read: ANN7 staff axed for refusing ANCYL address
“This is an unacceptable and blatant ill treatment of workers and we demand their immediate reinstatement. Workers cannot lose their jobs and subsequently their livelihood because someone's ego was bruised,” Cosatu spokesman Sizwe Pamla said in a statement.
Read: SABC under fire as #JimiMatthews quits
The group of ANN7 workers were dismissed with immediate effect on Friday for bringing the company into disrepute. In April, they allegedly refused to be addressed by Maine, chasing him away from their Midrand offices.
Pamla said ANN7 had failed to meet with Cosatu to talk about improving the working conditions of workers after the union federation voted them as the worst employers.
There have been several reports about ANN7 employees raising concerns of poor working conditions and low salaries.
“We can only conclude that they were never genuine in improving their poor record as employers, and we will ensure that they do not get away with this irresponsible behaviour,” Pamla said.
The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) has also requested a meeting with ANN7 editor Moegsien Williams following the employees’ dismissal.
Cosatu on Monday also condemned the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) regarding its decision not to broadcast the destruction of property during protests.
“The SABC ought to be the voice of the South African people, informing, educating and entertaining all our communities and reflecting the diversity of our cultural, linguistic, political, religious and social heritage,” Pamla said.
He said they expected the public broadcaster to deepen its accountability to its audience and to the general public by being transparent in its activities.
African News Agency