Illegal metro police strike drags on
May 3 2013 at 02:14pm
By LALI VAN ZUYDAM
By LALI VAN ZUYDAM
INL SA
Employees of the
Tshwane Metro Police Department spent the day outside the metro police head
offices in WF Nkomo (Church) Street to protest against the new shift system
that was rolled out. Pictures: Oupa Mokoena
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Pretoria - Employees of the Tshwane
Metro Police Department (TMPD) continued their illegal strike on Thursday,
refusing to accept the new shift system rolled out on May Day.
About 100 protesting workers have been
gathering at the Total garage outside the TMPD head office on the corner of WF
Nkomo Street (formerly Church) and Es’kia Mphahlele Street (formerly DF Malan
Drive) since Wednesday.
The employees are opposed to the new
eight-hour shift system and continue to arrive at work according to the
previous schedule.
Umashi Dhlamini, deputy chief of police
in the TMPD, said there was a misconception among the employees that their
allowances would be affected by the new system. The TMPD on Thursday issued a
formal letter assuring employees that their night shift allowances (of between
17.5 percent and 19.5 percent) would not be affected by the shift changes.
The previous shift system, which lapsed
in 2011 but was extended to accommodate negotiations with unions, allowed for
two shifts of 12 hours every day, with shift changes at 6.15am and 6.15pm.
Employees were required to work four 12-hour shifts in four days after which
they were given four days off.
The TMPD suggested the new schedule to
have three shifts: 5am to 1pm, 1pm to 9pm, and a night shift from 9pm to 5am. A
split shift was also suggested between 12pm and 8pm to ensure officers were
available during peak hours.
With the new shift system, employees
work the same number of hours but they are required to work six shifts instead
of four.
Dhlamini said the new system would
address counter-productiveness in the workplace by reducing the number of hours
per shift, and increase metro police presence during peak hours between 5am and
7am and 5pm and 7pm.
Dhlamini confirmed that procedures were
followed to negotiate with both the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade
Union (Imatu) and South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu). When an
agreement could not be reached, the matter was referred to the City of Tshwane,
which approved the new system.
Dhlamini advised the unions, who
initially distanced themselves from the strike action, to follow legal avenues
to dispute the system.
“We were surprised when the members
embarked on this strike. We did not hear about any grievances until the strike
started. Our doors remain open to the members if they want to come and discuss
their problems,” Dhlamini said.
Dhlamini also spoke on the impact the
strike would have on their operations with 40 percent of employees not arriving
for their morning shift.
The area most affected by no-shows was
Atteridgeville. “The strike will not have much of an impact on our operations.
Services are running as usual,” he said.
Both unions were present on Thursday,
supporting their members’ protest.
A Samwu shop steward said their members
didn’t see the protest as illegal or even consider it a strike.
“We are officially on duty as we
reported to the office at our (previous) times,” he said.
He claimed they were not let in to
report for duty.
“We are waiting for management to
address us, but we will not force them to come out. If they want to hear our
side they can come,” he said.
Samuel Meso, Imatu shop steward, said
the members would not adhere to their new working hours.
“We do not want it. It will not work;
we will continue working 12-hour shifts,” he said.
He agreed with the protesting workers
that they weren’t on an illegal strike.
“We are just waiting for the chief to
address us,” he said, alleging the employees were not involved in the
collective bargaining agreement.
Major concerns raised by the protesters
were transport, safety and health-related.
“How will we get transport at 5am in
the morning? Most of the members do not have their own cars. If we issue
tickets to people at that time what will stop them from turning around and
shooting us while we wait for transport? I am not prepared to die on the
streets,” said one officer who declined to be named.
Another said: “The new shift system does
not allow us to rest for long enough before coming back to work. It does not
give us the required 12 hours between shifts.”
Dhlamini appealed to the protesting
members to return to their work stations.
“They need to resume their duties and
serve the public,” he said.
For as long as the employees stay away,
they will not be paid, Dhlamini said. He could not predict when the strike
would end.
Pretoria News
