SAB's soft drinks unit aims to cut 400 staff

The soft drinks division of South African Breweries (SAB) plans to cut more than 10% of its workforce in a restructuring programme aimed at reducing costs‚ SAB confirmed on Monday, 14 April 2014.

SAB spokeswoman Robyn Chalmers said about 1‚300 section 189 letters had been issued to management and frontline workers at Amalgamated Beverage Industries (ABI)‚ while the estimated number of jobs to be cut was about 400. ABI employs 3‚600 people.

Moleko Phakedi‚ deputy general secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu)‚ said Fawu had requested a special meeting with SAB and ABI "to try and understand where they are coming from with such a high number" of possible job cuts.

The union had received a section 189 letter from ABI‚ putting the possible number of affected employees at 1‚348‚ of whom 1‚060 were Fawu members‚ Phakedi said.

Chalmers said consultation between ABI and Fawu - to be facilitated by the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration - would start today. Various support initiatives would be available to employees‚ she said.