10111 staff march to JZ

Employees of the police’s 10111 emergency call centre took their grievances to the president when they marched to the Union Buildings yesterday.

About 200 workers affiliated to the South African Policing Union (Sapu) and labour federation South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) gathered at the Pretoria Art Museum to demand a salary upgrade that matches other government call centre workers.

The salary upgrades were recommended in 2013 by a task team set up by former police commissioner Riah Phiyega, who instructed the team to benchmark the workers’ salary level against departments such as home affairs, SA Social Security Agency, SA Revenue Service, Crimestop and the Presidential hotline.

But four years later, the workers still have not received their demand of a level 7 annual wage of R226 211. The call centre workers marched in June to Police Minister Fikile Mbalula’s office, giving him two weeks to positively respond to their demands.

“But no progress has been made and the SAPU members of 10111, supported by Saftu, were left with no alternative but to take strike action.

“Ever since the strike commenced, Sapu and Saftu have done everything to engage with authorities in an attempt to resolve the strike,” said the Sapu deputy president, Tumelo Mogodiseng.

Reading from the memorandum addressed to President Jacob Zuma, Mogodiseng said the workers understood the implications of the strike and sympathised with the public, who were deprived of a vital public service.