Five former Blue Bulls Company employees will fight their retrenchment in the labour court of appeal.

The BBC retrenched several staff members towards the end of 2017 because of financial restraints.

Now former employees Tim Dlulane (team manager), Pine Pienaar (defence coach), Nqubeko Zulu (U21 team manager), Dewey Swartbooi and Denzil Frans (both U19 coaches) have decided to take the matter to court after a Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) hearing failed to reach a favourable outcome.

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At the conclusion of the arbitration hearing, the Bulls presented the quintet with improved ‘retrenchment settlement’ packages, which were immediately turned down.

‘The issue was unresolved at the hearing and we have the right to go to the labour court. Unfortunately, it [the court proceedings] will obviously take a while,’ Piet Heymans, CEO of the Sport Employers Unite trade union told Rugby365.com.

‘It will be a very interesting case. We are of the opinion that these five employees were targeted and that the selection criteria [for determining who is retrenched] is vague and unreasonable. What we feel very strongly about is the process used by the BBC. They will have to explain themselves in court.’

Photo: Johan Rynners/Gallo Images