Telkom and trade union Solidarity have issued contradictory statements about the telco's restructuring and retrenchment plans after the union yesterday announced they were put on hold.
The union claims that Telkom has "misrepresented its agreement on restructuring".
Telkom responded to Solidarity's announcement by saying the agreement was for "further consultation" on its restructuring plans through an external independent facilitator.
"This consultation is a continuation of the dialogue that the company has had with staff and organised labour over the past few months regarding its restructuring," said Telkom.
CEO Sipho Maseko added in an internal e-mail to employees this morning restructuring plans had not been put on ice, as was claimed by Solidarity. "Despite recent statements in the media, we have not suspended the restructuring but will use this process to get further input.
"Please know that we will continue to treat every employee with dignity and respect. I would also like to emphasise that we are taking additional steps with our partners to ensure the process is comprehensive and in the best interest of employees and the organisation," he said.
Telkom's 'serious shortcomings'
Solidarity's refuted Telkom's response, with head of industry for the telecommunications sector Marius Croucamp saying it is "disingenuous of Telkom to downplay the significance of the agreement.
"Serious shortcomings of the previous restructuring plan included not only the deficient consultation process in the run-up to it, but also many of its suggestions.
"Among these suggestions were stipulations under which some of Telkom's white, coloured and Indian workers could be laid off in order to reflect the national racial demographics and improve its black economic empowerment score," Croucamp says.
Solidarity says its attorneys have sent correspondence to Telkom insisting that its employees be "properly informed of the full nature of the agreement".
A draft court order attached to the statement notes that "pending due consultations during the course of the facilitation, Telkom will not undertake any further selections or make any further appointments or effect any retrenchments. In determining whether or not due consultation has taken place, each party separately will give reasonable consideration to the recommendations of the facilitator
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