Media24 Retrenchment Fears Grow as 19 More Editorial Jobs Come Under Threat

• Solidarity claims Media24's restructuring now extends beyond sports and lifestyle to include 19 business news editorial positions
• The union alleges the original Section 189A notices made no mention of business news staff, raising transparency concerns
• Major brands including News24, Netwerk24, Huisgenoot and Sarie could be affected by the expanding retrenchment process

SOUTH AFRICA — Trade union Solidarity has raised the alarm over what it describes as an expanding retrenchment process at Media24, alleging that 19 editorial positions within the company's business news division have been added to a growing list of roles under threat.

The union, which describes itself as the largest at Media24, said the original Section 189A notices served on employees referenced 25 sports editorial positions and 101 lifestyle editorial positions. No mention was made of business news staff at that stage. The addition of those 19 roles has prompted Solidarity to question whether workers and unions were given the full picture from the outset.

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Transparency at the centre of dispute

Solidarity's labour relations specialist, Johan Roos, said feedback from employees on the ground suggested that the retrenchments could extend even further than currently disclosed.

"This lack of transparency is concerning and creates the impression that the employer is still not playing fair with unions, the public and its own employees," Roos said in a statement released on Friday.

The union has since written formally to Media24 requesting access to the company's strategic and financial planning documents, as well as details on the remuneration packages of senior managers and editors. Solidarity said the information is necessary to assess whether all possible alternatives to job cuts have been genuinely considered.

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Staff at major publications facing uncertainty

According to Solidarity, employees across several prominent Media24 titles could be caught up in the restructuring. The publications named include News24, Netwerk24, Sarie, Huisgenoot and Go! magazine.

The Section 189A process, which governs large-scale retrenchments in South Africa, legally requires employers to consult with affected employees and their representatives before any final decisions are implemented.

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Media24 has stated that the restructuring is driven by cost pressures linked to ongoing challenges in the media industry. The company previously indicated that approximately 126 positions could be impacted, a figure Solidarity now believes may underrepresent the true scale of the process.

3 Articles on job losses

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• Nestlé South Africa started issuing retrenchment notices to over 400 employees as part of a global restructuring plan.

Source: Briefly News