Johannesburg - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has issued a terse statement in which it said it "would like to put the record straight on the matter concerning the employees who were relieved of their duties".
The public broadcaster fired the employees a day after Worker's Day.
Weekend reports said the licence division at the broadcaster was left seriously understaffed after the employees were dismissed for taking part in what they said was a legal go-slow action.
"The SABC would like to put it on record that the employees referred to committed an act of misconduct in that they embarked on an unprotected strike," said the statement issued Monday by acting spokesperson, Mmoni Seapolelo.
"Despite numerous attempts by Management to dissuade them from continuing with this unlawful action, they continued with the action. Consequently, they were subjected to an internal disciplinary process which was in compliance with the requirements of procedural and substantive fairness."