10111 strike over salaries to intensify

Workers at the 10111 call centre are going ahead with intensifying their strike after not reaching an agreement with management.

The South African Police Union (Sapu) and the South African Police Service Management had initially agreed to let the mediation process unfold at the Commission of Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)‚ thus resulting in the strike being temporarily postponed.

Sapu is demanding salary increases recommended by a task team set up by suspended police commissioner Riah Phiyega in 2013.

"The union has sought an intervention at ministerial level but with no result. Therefore we are resuming the strike with immediate effect and the next phase of the industrial action will involve action by all 10111 operators and all Public Servants Act personnel in the police department‚" said Oscar Skommere‚ Sapu’s general secretary.

"For the past two weeks we have been battling with management and the so-called 'sweetheart revolutionary union' which colluded with SAPS management to delay progress on this matter‚'' he said.

“Today SAPS would be telling you this and when you come tomorrow and becomes something else when the agreement was that we should meet in a certain time frame."

He was referring to the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru)‚ who had intervened and asked their members not to join an "unsanctioned" protest over wages.

Popcru criticised the march‚ stating that it was an attempt by their detractors "aimed at creating a false impression that they have numbers and can take the employer head on‚ ignorant of the fact that there are processes that have not come to an end‚ and therefore jumping the gun."

Last month Sapu and the newly formed SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) marched to the offices of Police Minister Fikile Mbalula to deliver a memorandum of demands.

Sapu then took a decision to temporarily postpone the strike on Friday‚ July 28 after they agreed to allow the mediation process led by the CCMA to unfold‚ as they were both committed and willing to find a settlement to the dispute.

"For the past two weeks however‚ Sapu battled with management’s collusion with a reactionary union that has been telling members not to join the strike. This sweetheart union that normally shouts revolutionary and socialist slogans does not have the interests of members at heart‚" Sapu and Saftu said in a joint statement.

Sapu accused SAPS management of delaying the speedy resolution of this issue by rejecting any proposal tabled by the CCMA commissioner.

Sapu said if no progress had been made by August 11‚ they would call for unions under Saftu to stand in solidarity with them.