A possible strike at the printing plant of the Afrikaans daily Beeld would also affect the Daily Sun, Sunday Sun and City Press newspapers, the trade union Ceppwawu said on Monday.
Dusty Ngwane, a spokesperson for the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Unions, said the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) had issued a strike certificate, meaning the proposed strike — in support of a 10% pay claim — would be legal. The 53 Ceppwawu members employed by Beeld — part of Media24, formerly known as Naspers — were still to decide with their shop stewards when to strike work, Ngwane said.
Pay negotiations had begun in November 2003, and another trade union at Media24, the South African Typographical Union, had accepted a 6,8% increase, Ngwane said.
Media24’s management said in a statement on Monday they had not received the required 48 hour’s notice of a strike.
It described Ceppwawu’s claim as ”clearly excessive and considerably higher than increases agreed in the printing industry at large”.
The company had offered the union accountant access to financial information both before and during the CCMA hearings, and there was ”an appointment to do so later during this week”, the company said.
Media24 said it remained open to continued negotiations. – Sapa