The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) ”no work, no pay” principle was not a threat, the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) said on Wednesday after employees won the right to strike.
The CWU’s general secretary, Gallant Roberts, said they had been aware of the SABC stance for a while.
”We are aware of the principle, but it is not going to stop us. A draft memorandum of our action programme from Friday will be distributed to our members in the SABC by late Wednesday,” he said.
”The draft includes details of how we are going to move forward from Friday in terms of go-slow, stayaway and marches that are going to be carried out throughout the country,” Roberts said.
Roberts was responding to the broadcaster’s response when earlier the Johannesburg Labour Court dismissed a bid by the SABC to stop its workers from striking.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the anticipated strike by members of the CWU and the Media Workers’ Association of South Africa would not affect the broadcaster’s operations.
”They have the right to go on strike, but they must give the necessary notice [to conduct the strike] and we will kick in our plans. They must also know that the principle of no work, no pay will apply,” he said.
”Whether there is a strike or not, we would like to assure the public that operations will continue.”
Kganyago refused to disclose what plans the broadcaster had in place, saying it did not want anyone planning against them.
Wednesday’s court decision followed an application by the SABC to have the strike certificate, issued to the unions by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) two weeks ago, reviewed.
The application led to the unions abandoning the use of the CCMA certificate until the Labour Court had made a decision.
The unions went to the CCMA when the SABC revised a 12,2% multi-term pay offer it was supposed to have implemented in April, to 8,5%. — Sapa