Strike to hit cop units

28 May 2013 - 02:47 By GRAEME HOSKEN
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Police
Police
Image: PEGGY NKOMO

Critical policing functions, including the operations of emergency control centres and police stations, will grind to a halt as about 50000 police administrative personnel go on strike.

The strike, which begins across South Africa tomorrow, has been called by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union.

It could result in emergency calls going unanswered and crime-fighting police being removed from the streets to man telephones.

It could also lead to police being unable to visit crime scenes or do crime prevention as administrative staff dealing with fleet management would not be available to ensure the running of vehicles.

Central to the strike is police management's refusal to implement a 2011 Safety and Security Sectoral Bargaining Council agreement.

It centres on the incorporation of administrative staff, who are currently "Public Service Act" employees, into the police, and salary increases.

It would see administrative staff, including clerks, falling within the pay bracket of constables, and will require the SAPS to spend R900-million more a year on salaries - money police management has told the union it does not have.

If the agreement is signed, each administrative staff member will earn about R20 000 more annually.

"It will make working impossible. Police stations and 10111 emergency centres will battle to function.

"Police will have to be taken off the streets to man the 10111 centres. If they do not, we will not be able to respond to calls for help because we will not know about them," said a Gauteng flying squad member.

A Pretoria Central police station detective said the strike could be catastrophic.

"How will we know about crimes such as hijackings, murders and rapes?

"We have asked our commanders what will happen, but they are also in the dark."

Attempts to get comment from police management on what contingency plans were in place and whether last-minute emergency meetings were being held with Popcru were fruitless.

Police spokesman Brigadier Phuti Setati said: "SAPS management is continuously engaging the leadership of the unions on the matter and all efforts are being made to avert industrial action."

He declined to answer questions on why police management had failed to honour the agreement.

The strike will begin in the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo tomorrow. Gauteng will go on strike on Thursday, while clerks in the North West will join next week.

Nkosinathi Theledi, Popcru general secretary, said about 48000 administrative staff would strike.

"Management knew about it two years ago ... they had to budget, but they chose not to. They chose to ignore a legally binding document."

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