The Labour Court in Johannesburg on Wednesday granted an interdict sought by unions at Telkom to halt a continuing restructuring and retrenchment process.

Judge David Gush further ordered Telkom to retract its Section 189 retrenchment notice, Solidarity said in a statement.

Telkom’s three trade unions, Solidarity, the Communications Workers Union and the South African Communications Union, had jointly approached the court to argue Telkom did not first fully consult on job cuts, as the telecom provider continues a turnaround strategy launched two years ago.

Unions argued Telkom had failed to fully consult in terms of a 2008 agreement on restructuring processes.

“This judgment is a victory for Telkom workers who are regularly being subjected to restructuring processes. Solidarity will do everything in its power to ensure that Telkom abides by the court order and follows the correct procedures,” Solidarity deputy general secretary Johan Kruger said in a statement.

Telkom argued it had met the conditions of the 2008 memorandum of understanding, concluding five meetings with unions in past weeks. Business Day