COSATU welcomes positive SABC wage agreement with CWU

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the signed wage agreement for the 2023/24 financial year between the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the Communications Workers' Union (CWU).

This positive agreement sees SABC employees who have not had a wage increases for four years, receive an above inflation increase of 6%. SABC will commence paying the increases with further engagements to take place on the payment of arrears to employees.

This agreements provides comfort for SABC staff who have seen the value of their wages eroded over the past four years. This hard-won victory was the result of relentless struggles by COSATU's Affiliate, CWU, including taking workers' grievances to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and the intervention of COSATU with the Minister for Communications and Digital Technologies, Mr. Mondli Gungubele.

The Federation appreciates the efforts of Minister Gungubele and his team to address SABC staff's legitimate frustrations. Their interventions affirm workers' faith in the African National Congress led government.

We are hopeful that these interventions and this important wage agreement lays the foundation for labour market stability at SABC, a return to healthy collective bargaining and the recognition of workers' fundamental right to a living wage.

COSATU and CWU will continue to engage SABC and government on measures to ensure SABC remains on the path to recovery and in particular the painful plight of freelance workers at SABC be addressed.

Issued by COSATU

For further information please contact:
Matthew Parks
Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator
Cell: 082 785 0687