Hundreds of striking MTN workers picketed outside the company’s offices nationwide on Wednesday to force the mobile network company to pay the 16% in unpaid bonuses which the Communication Workers Union (CWU) says should have been paid to the workers in March. CWU obtained permission to strike on May 6 and gave 48-hour notice to strike last Friday.The union wants a 16% bonus and 10% salary increases‚ and well as ex-gratia payments it says MTN has made in the past.“In 2015‚ MTN was one percent short of the target and only got four percent guaranteed‚ which means there is no bonus because the four percent is guaranteed‚” said Tshepo Matou‚ CWU’s national organiser.Matlau said that‚ however‚ in 2014‚ MTN was off the target by eight percent but still paid ex-gratia bonuses to its employees.“We say give us 16 percent and not 30 percent‚” he added.The strike‚ which started at 5:30am at MTN’s head office in Fairland and at MTN offices in other provinces nationwide coincided with morning traffic and made matters worse for motorists trying to pass the picketing striking workers on 14th Avenue.Striking workers blocked access to MTN premises and sang and danced showing placards with their demands to passing motorists‚ who responded by hooting‚ while others showed their frustration with slow-moving traffic.“Themba Nyhathi (MTN’s chief human resources officer) lied when he said there are no temps at MTN; they are here and we know that some of them are smuggled in to work today. Some of them have been working here as temps for seven years‚” said two striking workers who did not want their names to appear in the media.When Nyathi was spotted in the traffic‚ a group of angry striking workers crowded around his BMW convertible and banged the vehicle in anger until metro police who were standing nearby cleared the way for the executive to drive on.CWU says it has between 2800 and 3000 members at MTN‚ but the company said it did not recognise the union because it did not meet the threshold.“We aim to shut their services down‚ that they don’t operate nationwide‚” said Matlou.The employer in a statement issued earlier this week assured its customers that there would be contingency measures in place to minimise the impact on business when the company’s level one and two staff go on strike.MTN’s 808 call centre‚ which services contract customers‚ had the following message on the morning of the strike: “Y’ello and welcome to MTN. Due to unforeseen circumstances‚ our call centre is currently closed and we will reopen as soon as possible. We thank you for your patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”But the company’s 173‚ Pay As You Go service was functional during the morning of the strike. – RDM News Wire..