General Secretary of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa Irvin Jim talks to members of the media, 7 December 2016, in Newtown, Johannesburg, on the trade unions upcoming national conference. Picture: Alaister Russell
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) has called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) management to ensure that emergency number 10111 workers are paid fairly.
“At least 5000 call center workers went on strike this week because the SAPS violates the principle of equal pay for work of equal value,” Numsa acting spokesman Phakamile Hlubi said on Saturday.
Workers at the 10111 call center did not earn the same as other workers in government institutions who did the same kind of work. Numsa condemned “this kind of unfair labour practice”.
“This is precisely the kind of principle that employers in the engineering sector wish to impose on our members, which is why we are now on the verge of a nationwide strike,” Hlubi said.
Government could not claim to be promoting “radical economic transformation” when state institutions were “guilty of exploiting workers in the same way that greedy capitalists exploit workers everyday”. Police management were putting the lives of millions of South Africans at risk by exploiting South African Policing Union (Sapu) members and “forcing them to strike”.
The strike had now been temporarily suspended to allow for mediation to take place through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA).
“We call on the SAPS to negotiate in good faith and ensure that they resolve the crisis as soon as possible for the sake of the public who rely on this very important service,” Hlubi said.
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