Daily Sun (August 19 2014) - OVER THE weekend, defiant Generations stars ignored the broadcaster's call for them to return to work.
They said they would not go back to work in spite of being threatened they would be fired.
AND LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON THE PRODUCERS ANNOUNCED THEIR CONTRACTS WOULD BE TERMINATED.
The SABC and MMSV Productions have also assured the public that measures have been put in place to ensure the future of the programme.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said that following consultation with the SABC they have terminated the contracts of the striking actors on the SABC1 soapie, Generations.
The termination follows calls by both parties for the actors to return for recordings, following the start of their illegal strike.
Executive producer Mfundi Vundla confirmed that none of the cast members pitched up for work today.
The actors taking part in the strike called themselves the Generations Actors Guild. They included Anga Makubalo, Katlego Danke, Mandla Gaduka, Menzi Ngubane, Nambitha Mpumlwana, Patrick Shai, Seputla Sebogodi and Sophie Ndaba.
Speaking to Daily Sun over the weekend, Kaizer Kganyago said Monday was the actors' last chance to show up for work.
The actors were asking for three-year contracts and demanded that they be paid royalties for episodes played outside of Mzansi.
They sent a three-page open letter to their fans yesterday to apologise for the strike.
The open letter stated Generations earned hundreds of millions of rands for SABC1 and the SABC. It is the most watched soapie in Mzansi, drawing a national average of around 7,5 million viewers on week nights.
Asked how he feels about the decision made by SABC, Mfundi Vundla said: "I think it's sad but it was inevitable."
Asked if this means it's the end for Generations, he said: "We have a number of plans in place. Generations is not going to die because of this, the show will go on"
If there is a chance for the show to come back, she said: "We can't even talk about that, that's not even being contemplated."
The Generations Actors Guild sent out a collective statement through Dream Catcher Multi-Media confirming that each actor had received a letter of dismissal with immediate effect. It added that the cast made a decision to examine their legal options as a result of the latest development and would update media on their next action.
"We are saddened by this development, but remain steadfast in our goal to ensure fair working conditions for ourselves as creative professionals," said the statement.
Creative Workers Union's acting general secretary Eugene Mthethwa said: "Now they will be able to stand for their rights! What needs to be done is that the actors should not feel it's the end but rather a good step towards the right direction. We will support them and they should not fear."
See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....
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