Striking 10111 workers threaten legal action against SAPS

Police emergency call centre workers are forging ahead with an unprotected strike and have threatened to take legal action against their employer.

The South African Police Union (Sapu) and South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) briefed the media on Monday and said they were opposed to the resolution agreement which was signed by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) and management.

Speaking at their offices in the Johannesburg CBD‚ Sapu president Mpho Kwinka said: “This agreement does not address the issues we are fighting for. If they go ahead and impose the agreement we will take it to court.”

He said the document in contention was an agreement that aimed to sort out the issues between 10111 workers and their employer.

National negotiator Alfred Tlou said the agreement would transfer call centre agents from Public Service Agents to the police services.

“This will not benefit the workers because when migrated‚ a level seven call centre agent will get R169‚000 while the equivalent of that is a constable who earns R172‚ 000 per year.

“In this translation‚ our workers were requested to apply for the vacancies. [This] means their jobs are not guaranteed‚” he said.

Tlou continued: “This is also a way to get rid of some of our staff. As call centre agents they are occupying posts so why move them where there is no certainty.”

Saftu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on Sunday lashed out at Police Minister Fikile Mbalula and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa for not addressing the matter.

“If a white person is threatened they push a panic button and they get help immediately. Look at Philippi‚ you will not see the minister going there‚ you won’t see them moving the resources from white communities to help the blacks.

“This is an issue of class. The Police Minister is no longer taking my calls because when I speak to him he knows I will prick his conscience on an issue he would rather forget‚” Vavi said.