ICTU calls on SACTWU to halt ‘reckless’ Independent Media liquidation bid to save 1,500 Jobs

ICTU warns that SACTWU’s push for Sekunjalo Independent Media’s liquidation could jeopardise 1,500 jobs, urging immediate action to protect workers’ livelihoods. The Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU) has expressed serious concern over media reports indicating that the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) is seeking an order for the provisional liquidation of Independent Media Consortium (IMC). ICTU, a major trade union in the communications sector representing workers across various industries—including a significant membership base at Independent Media and its associated businesses—warned that the court application places approximately 1,500 jobs at risk and threatens widespread hardship for employees and their families.

ICTU emphasised that its primary responsibility is to protect its members’ interests and safeguard their livelihoods. The union highlighted that while many media organisations across the country are cutting staff through retrenchments, the Sekunjalo Group, National Media Group, and IOL have continued to actively recruit and preserve employment. Given these ongoing recruitment efforts during a challenging period for the broader media landscape, ICTU commended Sekunjalo’s investment and called on SACTWU to immediately desist from actions that threaten the jobs of workers at National Media Group and Independent Media.

Describing SACTWU’s liquidation application as “reckless,” ICTU stated that such proceedings undermine the credibility and broader interests of the trade union movement. Addressing the underlying financial dispute, ICTU noted that according to information available to it, the funds SACTWU alleges were paid to the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) were never actually paid to the Sekunjalo Group. Furthermore, ICTU stated that SACTWU hasreceived benefitsestimated at between R1.7 billion and R2.2 billion—a figure the union noted has not been disputed.

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ICTU expressed its belief that the ongoing legal actions against Independent Media are politically motivated, pointing to Johnny Copelyn and others as the beneficiaries of these arrangements. Reaffirming its unwavering commitment to defending its members, ICTU urged SACTWU to stop pursuing campaigns in collaboration with critics or detractors of Independent Media. Instead, ICTU called on SACTWU to engage constructively in the best interests of workers and the long-term sustainability of South Africa’s media sector, pledging to stand in solidarity with the approximately 1,500 employees whose livelihoods remain on the line.

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