The Star reports that thousands of disgruntled Tiso Blackstar staff may soon embark on national strike action following a decision on Monday by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to grant them a certificate of non-resolution of a dispute.  

The workers are unhappy about the non-payment of bonuses to certain units in the media group, which owns The Sunday Times, Business Day, Sowetan, Daily Dispatch and Financial Mail.  Last month, an internal memorandum sent to senior management was leaked after the group’s non-payment of bonuses.  Employees then sought representation from the Information Communication Technology Union (ICTU), which approached the CCMA.  On Monday, the union members were granted permission to strike.  Tiso Blackstar managing director of media, Andy Gill, said the company did award bonuses to divisions that had met the criteria, as well as awarding discretionary bonuses to top performers.  Gill said the union had yet to issue a strike notice.  ICTU deputy president Origenius Mogoatlhe advised that the logistics of the strike had not yet been worked out.  Mogoatlhe added that the workers were demanding 25% of the total cost to company with regard to the profit that the company made.

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