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The Labour Court has ruled that striking metro police officers should return to work, but the union is sticking fast, saying "We will not go back to work until our demands are met."
THE Labour Court on Friday, 6 February said striking Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) officers should return to work today; however, the strike continues.
It began on Monday, 2 February. According to the City's spokesperson, Nthatisi Modingoane, the court's decision came after Johannesburg investigated and resolved the issues that brought on the strike. These included allegations of corruption against two JMPD officers and the employment of pensioners in the service.
The acting City manager, Refik Bismilla, called the Labour Court's decision a positive outcome and said it confirmed the City's view that there were no reasons to continue with industrial action once the original reasons for the strike had been resolved.
"We obeyed the decision of the Labour Court and the workers to exercise their right to strike as enshrined in our country's Constitution and the Labour Relations Act. We trust that JMPD officials will now return to their duties without delay following the new court order," he said.
However, Dumisani Langa, the Johannesburg secretary of the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu), said they had not received anything from the City to sign. The striking metro police officers are members of the union.
"We have not reached any agreement with the City in terms of all our issues raised; therefore, we will not go back to work until our demands are met, including the redeployment of Chris Ngcobo, the metro chief of police."
Modingoane said Samwu had received permission from the Labour Court to strike based on three demands made by the union:
- That the chief superintendent of internal affairs be suspended;
- That the deputy director of internal affairs be suspended; and
- That the JMPD should not re-engage pensioners.
"With the City having addressed the three reasons for the strike there should now be no reason why the industrial action must continue," Modingoane said.
"The City declares its willingness to discuss other issues that the union might want to raise in formal discussions. The union is urged to follow due processes as defined in the Labour Relations Act to lodge any dispute because its doors are always open to sound relations with its employees."
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