Judge asks SAB to explain dismissal process of 'ba
Judge asks SAB to explain dismissal process of 'bantu education' workers
October 8, 2003
By Ronnie Morris
Cape Town - SAB, embroiled in a labour court battle with the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu) over alleged unfair dismissal of workers with low levels of education, has been asked by the presiding judge to explain added aspects of its action.
The union alleges that 800 workers countrywide, who were all victims of "bantu education", were retrenched in 2001 by SAB when it restructured its business to become a world-class manufacturer.
The union, which represents 115 workers previously from the Newlands plant, contended that the dismissals were both unfair in substance and procedure
'SAB says it has offered employees opportunities to improve their education'
.
As a result of higher entry requirements a substantial number of employees, especially those with low levels of education, were automatically disqualified from applying for new posts or for redeployment.
The company is defending the action and said not only were the dismissals fair but it had continued to offer the employees opportunities to improve their levels of education through adult basic education and training.
Yesterday, at the conclusion of her evidence under cross-examination, Barbara Pinto, a human resources specialist at SAB, was asked by Judge Pat Gamble to explain:
the total size of the Newlands workforce in 2001 with a breakdown of white and blue-collar workers;
the total number of jobs declared redundant;
how the the redundant jobs were selected;
the total number of employees who did not apply for the new jobs at all;
the total number of employees who fell below the entry-level requirement by virtue of adult basic education and training;
the number of people who were "regretted" because they did not have an appropriate entry level of qualification;
whether it was aware that a number of employees did not apply for positions and;
if the company applied any particular process to determine whether those people who did not apply, understood the (restructuring) process.
The trial continues today.
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