Pretoria - Workers at the 10111 call centre, who man the police emergency number on Monday vowed to intensify their strike if their salary demands are not met.
The workers belong to the South African Police Union (SAPU). They have been on strike since 18 July.
On Monday, they gathered at the Arts Museum in Pretoria before marching to the Union Buildings to hand over their memorandum of grievances and demands.
SAPU is demanding salary increases recommended by a task team set up by suspended police commissioner Riah Phiyega in 2013. The union wants the South African Police Service (SAPS) to increase their salary level by two notches, an estimated increase of R50,000 per annum.
South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, said the reshuffling of national police commissioners has a negative impact on 10111 workers.
10111 employees singing and chanting slogans outside the Union Buildings.
MEDIA: Brenda Masilela/ANA
"We see no reason why we have to resort to marching and making sacrificing such as being on a strike since 18 of July to pursue a set of demands that the police management long agreed with us that these demands were just and therefore the strike is completely unnecessary," Vavi said.
"We are now paying the price of putting these clowns in power who want to be on twitter, who want to be popular on social media instead of solving of workers."
Vavi said the unions will mobiles and pursue the demand until someone listens. Saftu has been in solidarity with SAPU
South African Federation of Trade Unions general secretary, Zwelinzima Vavi, addressing employees outside the Union Buildings.
PHOTO: Brenda Masilela/ANA
SAPU deputy president Tumelo Mogodiseng said they have approached Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, and feel he has not done much to address their plight.
"We went to the minister, he doesn't have time for members, he's busy tweeting, he's busy on Facebook...We are calling on President Jacob Zuma to recall Mbalula, comrade Mbalula must go back to sports."
"10111 is the for the poor majority of this country the poor majority black people are using the services of 10111. The time we have spent whilst on strike our members are dying because they don't get the services of 10111."
The workers are demanding salary upgrades to be at same level as other call centre workers at the department of home affairs, SA Social Security Agency (Sassa), SA Revenue Services (Sars) and the presidential hotline, among others.