Sun City complex closed by strike

JOHANNESBURG (Reuter) - Southern Africa's largest casino resort, Sun City, closed its doors and cancelled bookings yesterday when the hotel's 3,500 workers went on strike. 'No one has been doing anything since 10 o'clock this morning, so Sun City is effectively closed,' said Tobin Prior, marketing director of Sun International.

Mr Prior said the resort management was still attempting to clarify the cause of the strike at Sun City, which includes a complex of hotels, golf courses and a casino in the former Bophuthatswana homeland.

He said the biggest union, the South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers' Union (SACCAWU) had not presented any demands and no formal dispute had been declared. Wage negotiations were 'at an advanced stage', Mr Prior went on, but 'it appears we have a minority of employees trying to undermine SACCAWU at Sun City.' 'We have lost millions (of rands) already - we had to cancel a major medical conference this weekend which involved 2,800 bed- nights. You can imagine what that cost,' Mr Prior said.