The South African Municipal Workers’ Union (SAMWU) in the Ekurhuleni Region, Gauteng, has vowed to do everything it can to defend over 300 Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers who are facing possible dismissal following allegations of illegal strike on 19th March.
The City has issued pre-dismissal notices to the officers, giving them 48hrs to provide valid reasons why they should not be permanently dismissed for embarking on an illegal strike.
SAWWU, which is the majority union at the metro, has condemned what it called the “municipality’s draconian action that represents not only a gross injustice but also a chilling assault on the fundamental rights of workers.”
The union has vowed to deliver the written responses to the municipality on behalf of the affected officers. Speaking on You FM Newshour, SAMWU’s regional secretary, Tshepang Langa, accused the municipality of continuing to neglect workers and their challenges.
“It’s an outrageous decision that also lays bare the municipality’s blatant disregard for fair labour practices and its utter unwillingness to engage with the legitimate grievances of its employees in a meaningful and constructive manner.
“Instead of choosing the path of dialogue, seeking to understand, and genuinely resolve the substantive issues fuelling the workers dissatisfaction, the municipality has instead opted for the oppressive tactic of threatening mass dismissals.
“This is a betrayal of the principles of natural justice and a direct attack on the constitutional rights of workers to express their grievances without fear of reprisal,” said Langa.
Langa has disputed the claims that EMPD officers embarked on an illegal strike.
“We were at various platforms before having indicated that we’re not aware of a strike, what we were aware of as a majority union was the issue of a go slow.
“Because there are many ways in which you can show dissatisfaction when you’re not happy with various issues in the workplace, it’s a factual dispute that is there in front of us.
The members of the EMPD were moving from different sides of the City on a go-slow reporting to the head-office in Germiston as we have indicated before.
“It’s a factual dispute, as I indicated to you earlier, that we will raise when we go to the official disciplinary hearing of our members, when presented with such an opportunity,” explained Langa.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has raised a concern over the mass suspension of EMPD employees, warning that it poses a significant risk to public safety, traffic management and the enforcement of municipal by-laws.
The committee’s Chairperson Bandile Masuku said that the sudden reduction in law enforcement capacity “may leave residents vulnerable and exacerbate challenges in maintaining order on the roads and in communities across the City.”
