Pay us our outstanding overtime shifts since 2009, read one placard from the infuriated Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) members who threatened that all hell would break loose if their demands are not met.
On Friday members took to the street next to Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria insisting that their demands be agreed to to prevent further marches. They believe the Department of Correctional Services has swept their grievances under the carpet.
“We want them to fill all vacant posts at lower levels and provide correctional officials with the departmental uniform because we worked more than six years without new uniforms,” said one union member.
Addressing Popcru members, the chairman of Kgosi Mampuru II correctional centre, Mathews Phaahla, said if Correctional Services ignored their demands, they would protest again from June 30 to July 14. They would intensify their pickets to include marches throughout the country.
Phaahla said the 40 or so members who marched yesterday were just warning the department to take them seriously; they would embark on a nationwide protest if they are ignored.
“We demand the full implementation of all concluded agreements, or else we will take to the streets for a very long time until someone at the Department of Correctional Services is stirred into action,” she said.
They sang political songs as they marched in front of the prison.
“This picket will be worse as from next week and we are not going anywhere until our demands are met,” yelled one of the picketers.
Popcru demanded the establishment of a shift system, a promotion policy, implementation of occupational dispensation second phase and special dispensation for all employees with above eight years service rank at their departments.
“We hope that the Department of Correctional Services listens to our demands and pays close attention because we really want our demands to be implemented as soon as possible.
“We have been disregarded for a very long time.