BDLive reports that the Competition Tribunal said on Wednesday that SABMiller and Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) needed to state exactly how long their commitment not to retrench staff would stand.  

The tribunal is holding hearings to decide whether or not to accept the Competition Commission’s approval of AB InBev’s acquisition of SABMiller.  In a joint press release in April, the brewers said:  "In a groundbreaking commitment, AB InBev has undertaken to ensure that at no point in the future will there be involuntary job losses in SA as a result of the transaction.”  When the Competition Commission gave its approval of the deal earlier in June, it attached the condition that the merged entity not be allowed to retrench SABMiller employees and that the condition remain in perpetuity.  Tribunal chairman Norman Manoim said:  "I understand the principle but I think a time period is necessary."

• Read this report by Fifi Peters in full at BDLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page