Striking workers accused of making threats

from abusing our workers.”

East London call centre commander Captain Tommy Adlam said: “We have recorded all their calls swearing and threatening our workers with violence.”

Mills accused the strikers of violating the rule that strikers stay 100m from the gates.

But Sapu Eastern Cape spokeswoman Phumza Sithole, standing with 22 placard-waving strikers 10m from the perimeter gates of the West Bank police complex, said they were far from the centre itself.

Dispatch was shown the call centre yesterday, which is deep inside the complex.

Sithole said strikers were abiding by the rules, and also denied that they called the centre and swore at those working, or calling them traitors.

“That is not true. We have observed all the rules. We are currently standing in front of the police mortuary but not near the actual call centre. No one has called the call centre.”

Mills also accused the workers of violating another strike rule which stated that they hold their demonstration 100m from the gate.

In a statement Mills said: “The four SAPS 10111 centres in the Eastern Cape (Mthatha, Port Elizabeth, Queenstown and East London) are running efficiently as advance notification was received about the labour action planned.

“Contingency plans were put into place and the SAPS can assure the public that service delivery continues without interruption at our centres in the province.

“These measures will continue until the strike is resolved.”

Sapu is demanding an entry-level salary of R19 000 a month, while management says it will not pay more R13 000.

Sapu is also demanding psychological support for employees who field “traumatising” and “haunting” calls about rapes, murders and suicides during 12-hour shifts.

Call operator Luyanda Mabinza, 42, said they often had to convince suicidal callers not to take their lives. “I am not a psychologist and I need a psychologist myself because of the type of calls we take.”

Last month hundreds of workers from the four centres converged in King William’s Town to hand over a memorandum of demands to the police bosses.

Tensions rose after police announced they intended to convert the workers from being covered by the Public Administration Act and place them under the Police Act, which sees call centre administration workers being ranked as police constables.

Sithole said: “Constables are paid pathetic salaries so some of us would be demoted and get even less money.” —