The SABC has assured its customers they will continue to get their
television and radio programmes in spite of striking workers
threatening a nationwide blackout, according to a report on iol.co.za.
More than half of the public broadcaster's workforce is expected to go on strike on Monday, initially picketing during lunch hours but embarking on a stayaway within a week.
The SABC's head of communications, Kaizer Kganyago, said contingency plans had been finalised, but he would not divulge details.
He said he didn't know if the unions could make good on their promise of a blackout, but the SABC would do its best to see that programming was not interrupted.
"We also have a mandate to give information to the public in the event of a disaster for example," Kganyago said.
Ernest Dlamini, secretary general of the Media Workers Association of SA (Mwasa), said the union expected all its 600 members who worked for the SABC to join the strike.
Gallant Roberts, general secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said yesterday many of its 949 SABC members would join the 600 Mwasa members on the picket line. This would mean about half the broadcaster's 3 000 workers would down tools.
Roberts said that from Monday members would picket during lunch hours and work-to-rule in terms of their job descriptions. Go-slows would follow, as would an overtime ban.
Click here to read the full report, posted on iol.co.za.