‘ No work no pay ’ for Generations cast
THE Generations stars who have been boycotting work for more than two weeks will not be paid today.
Mfundi Vundla, the soapie ’ s executive producer, said the “no work no pay rule will be applied ”.
“If you do not work, how can you be paid?” Vundla asked. The actors are usually paid on the last day of the month.
Generations has not produced an episode in 13 days because a dispute over clauses in actors’ new contracts has seen the cast staying away from work since October 14.
Four weeks ago, Vundla and the cast disagreed over the new three-year contracts containing a clause that stipulates that actors can be written out of the soapie for various reasons at the discretion of the producers. The actors had one-year contracts in the past.
When the drama around contracts began Vundla said he felt as though a gun was being held to his head because he would not give people extended contracts without clauses about the possibility of terminating characters.
“Let’s say I have given someone a two-year contract, and after signing the contract the actor arrives late and does not know his or her lines and delays the production...”
He said as the executive producer he has the right to bring in new talent, which was a problem to the actors.
Labour expert Andrew Goldberg of Goldberg Attorneys in Johannesburg said as an employer, Vundla has the right to invoke the principle of “no work no pay” if the actors refuse to work.
“We are a country that works on principles of a contract, where the employee has to offer services and in return the employer is expected to pay you,” Goldberg said.
“If you do not offer your services, then the employer can refuse to pay you. If an employee is suspended, he has to be paid while on suspension.”
Two independent sources confirmed that senior actors at
Generations earn between R35 000 and R50 000 a month depending on negotiations with their agents.
A key actress on the soapie who wanted to remain anonymous said yesterday that she will deal with the issue of payment when it happens.
“I don’t know how much I am losing by not working, and I don’t know what is going to happen if we are not paid,” she said.
Meanwhile, the cast’s representative, lawyer Bulelani Mzamo of Mzamo Attorneys, said Vundla has finally agreed to meet him. Mzamo said his team had a fruitful meeting with Vundla and the SABC on Monday.
“I did not attend the meeting physically, but my team said there was light at the end of the tunnel...”
Mzamo said he wanted to see the process wrapped up as soon as possible because his clients want their lives back.