Axing of 500 part-time CCMA commissioners will hurt workers, says union Siyanda Ndlovu Picture: iStock Saptu is also concerned that employers might abuse the cutbacks, knowing that disputes can only be heard much later if they dismissed employees now. The South African Parastatals and Tertiary Institutions Union (Saptu) has questioned the decision by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) to terminate the services of more than 500 part-time commissioners. The CCMA announced the decision in December, citing financial reasons as a major impact on its operations and as a result resorted to cutting these commissioners to “make up for the R617 billion budget cut over the next three years”.