WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2007-06-11 Time: 00:00:00 Posted By: Jan
[Then the criminals will have a free-for-all! Jan]
By Fred Kockott
Leaders of the 100 000-strong Police and Prisons
Civil Rights Union (Popcru) say they are considering calls from its members to embark on an illegal countrywide strike in solidarity with the protesting civil servants.
Popcru says it represents 49 percent of police
(79 000 of a workforce of 160 000) and 69 percent of Department of Correctional services staff
(27 000 members among a total workforce of
39 000).
“Our members have been saying they want to be part of the national strike action, but we are constrained by legal circumstances… otherwise we would all already be out there (on strike),” said Popcru national spokesperson Pat Ntsobi.
Police are deemed to be an essential service and prohibited by law from striking. Any member who does could face instant dismissal.
The same applies to nurses and staff at hospitals and clinics, but this has not prevented an estimated 60 percent of such workers joining the national strike action, disrupting health services countrywide.
This disruption had been part of the national strike strategy, said Cosatu researcher Guy Slingsby and member of the strikers’ negotiation team.
“People are now saying the strike is resulting in deaths in hospitals, but are they asking how many people in hospitals die every week because of understaffing? The situation in hospitals now is not much different from how they normally operate,” said Slingsby, adding this was one of many aspects of appalling conditions in the public service.
Slingsby said plans for solidarity strike action affecting the private sector and other state entities, including the South African Revenue Services, the Airports Company of South Africa, and the South African Social Services Agencies, were well advanced, with notices already served on employers.
Ntsobi said pressure was being exerted on Popcru to join the strike, particularly by union members and other striking workers. He said a decision on this would be made at this week’s national conference.
Acknowledging that strike action by police and prison services staff would have grave repercussions for safety and security, Ntsobi said, “Yes, it could turn very ugly, but the government can prevent this”.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said police management was not concerned about any strike action threatened by Popcru leaders. “We have solid employment policies in place. We don’t anticipate a problem,” he said.
“Before the strike action we issued clear-cut directives as to how we expect members to act during the strike and anyone who goes beyond that will face serious repercussions.”
On Popcru statements that some policemen were already embarking on “go-slow, work to rule” protest action, Mdunge said, “Such reports are unfounded. There is no suggestion the police services are being minimised.”
Ntsobi said Popcru’s national conference will start tomorrow and end on Thursday, and that a decision on strike action would be guided by feedback from this weekend’s negotiations.
“Given the attitude of the government, we anticipate that a decision will be taken to strike,” said Ntsobi. “But we won’t mislead members into believing they are protected
when they are not. As leadership, we will ask members to decide on whether to strike illegally or consider other action,” said Ntsobi.
Ntsobi said alternative protest action was already happening and included “go-slows and work to rule”.
“If a member is employed to handle three dockets, we are saying that’s all you do, don’t go that extra mile, don’t put in extra effort, only do what is absolutely necessary. That is how we are encouraging members to participate,” said Ntsobi.
Slingsby said the strike action was not just about working conditions and wages, but gross understaffing in the public sector and systemic problems that the government was failing to address, including mismanagement and corruption.
“We are a million public servants short. It is inexcusable that the government is doing nothing about this,” said Slingsby. “Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi (Public Services and
Administration Minister) says there are 22 percent to 40 percent funded vacant positions in the public service, that’s 220 000 to 400 000 funded posts standing empty. This is madness, and the minister is so out of touch she can only give estimates for vacancies,” said Slingsby.
“We also have the Public Services Commission saying that another 600 000 posts are needed for efficient service delivery,” said Slingsby.
It was announced on Saturday that the health department had decided to start issuing striking nurses with their marching orders. This was decided at a meeting between Health Minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, and Fraser-Moleketi.