Cape Town - Over 200 firefighters marched to the Civic Centre on Thursday to demand pay for working overtime.
With rising temperatures increasing the risk of veld fires, the firefighters are threatening to down tools amid their dispute with the municipality.
The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) said if the City failed to reach an agreement with firefighters, they would work only from 8am until 4pm.
The union said firefighters were presently working between 72 and 80 hours a week.
Samwu provincial chairperson Sebenzile Kiva said the union had raised firefighters’ concern over overtime pay with the City earlier this year, but nothing had been done about it.
He said the union wanted “to co-operate with the City, but the City is just very arrogant”.
Firefighters marched to the Civic Centre to demand overtime pay and better working conditions. Photographer: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)
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Kiva said so far they have reached no agreement with the City on any of their concerns.
“The fire fighters are very frustrated but the City does not want to adhere to their grievances, and in the meantime they are hurting communities and playing with people’s lives,” he said.
Samwu has accused the City of paying firefighters the incorrect overtime amount. According to the union, its members are being paid for a 160-hour month, but on average they worked 240 hours a month, and were not being compensated for the 80 hours overtime they clocked.
Samwu regional secretary Xolike Ncayo said: “The City not being here shows the arrogance and shows that they are not taking us seriously.”
On Thursday, the firefighters called on City manager Lungelo Mbandazayo to address them at the Civic Centre, but he failed to arrive. Instead, the City sent an official, to whom they refused to hand a memorandum.
SAMWU leaders talking to City of Cape Town management. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)
Other demands by firefighters include that the City address transformation requirements in the service.
Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said in terms of the Labour Relations Act, the dispute should be resolved via arbitration, as the fire service was an essential service.
“Samwu chose not to pursue their case via arbitration and instead opted to approach the Labour Court for resolution. To date, Samwu has not pursued this course of action,” Smith said.
The City was committed to resolving the pay dispute but was waiting for Samwu to proceed “through the correct channels”.
Firefighters marched to the Civic Centre to demand overtime pay and better working conditions. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)
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