THE SABC's regional offices in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, broadcast from mobile vans yesterday
This came after staff refused to enter the building, which is under construction.
The Media Workers Association of South Africa (Mwasa) asked their members not to enter the building, which the union says might "collapse any time".
Unfriendly correspondence between Mwasa and the SABC continued last week, with the union threatening that its members would no longer enter the building unless steps were taken to address the issue, including immediate relocation.
In one e-mail to the SABC, Mwasa general secretary Tuwani Gumani said the building housing the SABC in Nelspruit was "rotten" and that the landlord had turned it into a "fully fledged construction-mining site".
"There are promises that a safety officer will be brought on site today. We wonder if all staff will be provided with protective clothing such as dust masks, helmets, overalls, protective eye wear and steel-nosed boots!" Gumani said in an e-mail.
Mwasa suggested that the SABC should terminate the contract with the landlord, who was identified only as Bakos.
Mwasa told the SABC that its members would report for work but would not enter the "deathtrap".
"We notify you finally that our members will as of Tuesday 26 July 2011 not enter the construction-mining site that is the SABC business facilities," Gumani said in a memo to the SABC.
Mwasa initially raised the matter with the SABC last week but Mandiwe Nkosi, SABC group employee relations general manager, responded by referring the union to Mpumalanga SABC regional manager Hosea Jiyane.
"Our office spoke to Mr Jiyane this morning about the situation in the Nelspruit office. He has assured us that he is doing everything he can to make sure that the contractors abide by health and safety regulations and that the area where repairs will be effected is demarcated accordingly," Nkosi said in an undated letter late last week.
"We kindly request that you liaise with him (Jiyane) in this regard,"
Neither the landlord nor SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago could be reached for comment.
SABC staff in a 'deathtrap'
THE SABC's regional offices in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, broadcast from mobile vans yesterday
This came after staff refused to enter the building, which is under construction.
The Media Workers Association of South Africa (Mwasa) asked their members not to enter the building, which the union says might "collapse any time".
Unfriendly correspondence between Mwasa and the SABC continued last week, with the union threatening that its members would no longer enter the building unless steps were taken to address the issue, including immediate relocation.
In one e-mail to the SABC, Mwasa general secretary Tuwani Gumani said the building housing the SABC in Nelspruit was "rotten" and that the landlord had turned it into a "fully fledged construction-mining site".
"There are promises that a safety officer will be brought on site today. We wonder if all staff will be provided with protective clothing such as dust masks, helmets, overalls, protective eye wear and steel-nosed boots!" Gumani said in an e-mail.
Mwasa suggested that the SABC should terminate the contract with the landlord, who was identified only as Bakos.
Mwasa told the SABC that its members would report for work but would not enter the "deathtrap".
"We notify you finally that our members will as of Tuesday 26 July 2011 not enter the construction-mining site that is the SABC business facilities," Gumani said in a memo to the SABC.
Mwasa initially raised the matter with the SABC last week but Mandiwe Nkosi, SABC group employee relations general manager, responded by referring the union to Mpumalanga SABC regional manager Hosea Jiyane.
"Our office spoke to Mr Jiyane this morning about the situation in the Nelspruit office. He has assured us that he is doing everything he can to make sure that the contractors abide by health and safety regulations and that the area where repairs will be effected is demarcated accordingly," Nkosi said in an undated letter late last week.
"We kindly request that you liaise with him (Jiyane) in this regard,"
Neither the landlord nor SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago could be reached for comment.