Axed ‘Generations’ cast resorts to CCMA
AUCKLAND PARK– Former ‘Generations’ actors rely on family, friends and each other to survive since they are out of work says Legal Representative Desmond Brown.
The Generations Actors Guild (GAG) had their first hearing at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on 14 October.
This was a first step for seeking recourse for their dismissal.
The actors were axed subsequent to boycotting work as a result of a wage dispute.
With the harsh economic conditions, these actors currently rely on each other to survive.
“Things are difficult; they are relying on friends and family and on each other to survive. They are also taking jobs here and there such as MC work, they are doing voice-overs and speaking at engagements, Angus for example is busy with his music,” says legal representative Desmond Brown.
Their appeal to the CCMA is based on the SABC and MMSV’s dismissal of the cast members after they had made a decision to withhold their services as actors from the SABC TV show, Generations.
The actors have to wait for 30 days for arbitration.
“The 30 days is part of the process, there are no disappointments because they knew what to expect,” adds Brown.
The 16 actors hope to get their jobs back and the demands they had made still stand.
“It’s important to note that the CCMA is not a one-step process,” comments GAG’s legal advisor, Bulelani Mzamo.
“There is a considerable amount of work that needs to go into demonstrating the basis of this claim to the CCMA – the CCMA, in turn, has its own process of how it responds to each claim, and their recommendation on the most suitable remedy to the dispute,” Mzamo added.
The outcome of the 14 October hearing was that MMSV and SABC were unwilling to settle – as such, the matter will move to arbitration. For the cast, there is a sense of relief that the process has begun.
“We look forward to putting our case before the CCMA and commencing and achieving a much-deserved legal remedy to our unilateral dismissal. We are also going to put in a civil case for a transparent calculation for the commercial exploitation fees owed to us for use of the episodes and our images. At the end of the day, we regard this as a significant milestone in the journey of rectifying problems we have in the creative industries. Our stance will not be in vain,” Mzamo concluded.
