MTN: Telecoms group plans dismissals

AFRICA’S biggest telecommunications provider MTN plans to issue dismissal notices by May 1 to up to 578 people at its South African enterprise business unit, the Solidarity union said yesterday. The Johannesburg-listed operator said last week it planned to restructure the business to strengthen its competitive advantage but did not say how many people would be affected. Marius Croucamp, the spokesman for Solidarity, said consultations began on January 21 and that MTN was offering two weeks severance pay for each year of service. In the past 12 months, 476 employees lost their jobs at the company, Croucamp said. MTN was not immediately available for comment. Its shares closed 1.96 percent higher at R211.58 on the JSE yesterday, outpacing a 1 percent rise by Johannesburg’s blue chip index. – Reuters