| MUMBAI:
The impasse between the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) and the The Association of Motion
Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has reached an important stage. Sag's
negotiating committee has urged its national board to take a strike authourisation
vote of its membership.
"A
strike authorisation vote of the membership is necessary to overcome the employers'
intransigence," the resolution said. It
also called for the national board to adopt a campaign advocating a 'yes' vote,
giving the bargaining team the authority to call a strike when the board "deems
it necessary and unavoidable to do so." Earlier
the AMPTP had refused to meet Sag for talks. The National Negotiating Committee
says that the AMPTP and the employers will seriously engage in further negotiations
after the members of the Guild express their confidence in their leadership by
authorising them to take all actions necessary to protect the interests of the
membership, including a strike. "Whereas,
although the National Board has already unanimously delegated the authority to
take a strike authorization vote to the National Negotiating Committee, in the
opinion of the Committee, the strong and public support of the National Board
for the necessity of a strike authorization at this time is a necessary prerequisite
for its success" says the resolution. | 
