- Samwu wants the City of Cape Town to tell ratepayers why they are keeping firefighters "enslaved" through a work agreement.
- Disciplinary procedures were initiated against 500 firefighters last month, following a two-year dispute over working hours.
- The City of Cape Town has accused Samwu of delaying tactics.
International Firefighters' Day in Cape Town has been marred by a war of words between the South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) and the City of Cape Town.
Samwu has ripped into the City, accusing the it of "enslaving" its firefighters.
On Tuesday, the City forged ahead with disciplinary action against more than 500 firefighters who engaged in an unprotected strike.
Samwu regional secretary Mikel Kumalo said they wanted the City to be truthful and honest with ratepayers, and explain how they were ''keeping the firefighters enslaved with an apartheid agreement".
"We want to inform ratepayers how this apartheid agreement has been manipulated and unilaterally changed by senior managers within the fire service to benefit themselves to the tune of between R12 000 and R20 00 per month, just on standby allowances, on top of their huge salaries of between R800 000 and over R1 000 000," Kumalo said.
He added that it was the very same managers who now wanted to dismiss the firefighters who earned between R2 000 and R 6 000 for working 240 hours per month.
Kumalo said the union had been trying for years to renegotiate a new agreement for firefighters, but to no avail.
He said:
Disciplinary procedures were initiated against 500 firefighters last month, following a two-year long dispute over working hours.
Workers are facing charges for participating in an unprotected strike, while some faced incitement charges.
The disciplinary action began back in 2019 when Samwu decided its members would no longer work a 56-hour week, as part of a pre-1994 Fire Services Agreement.
Trade union federation Cosatu has expressed disappointment in the manner in which the City is handling the dispute.
Cosatu provincial secretary Malvern de Bruyn said they were calling for urgent intervention.
De Bruyn added:
On Workers Day, firefighters marched to the Cape Town Civic Centre to hand over a memorandum.
Among their demands was a danger allowance for all firefighters, nightshift and shift allowance, and transportation of staff to and from work.
In a statement, the City accused Samwu of using delay tactics.
"The City is ready to review the current collective bargaining agreement at any time, and any changes to the working hours and benefits of the firefighters will be negotiated between the City and both unions (Samwu and IMATU).
"Samwu is the only party delaying a new collective agreement for firefighters by submitting unreasonable demands, a fact resoundingly affirmed by the Labour Court ruling of March 2020, which dismissed Samwu’s case outright, declaring their actions not only illegal but vexatious."
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith dismissed Samwu's claims.
"There was an agreement and Samwu contested it in court. The problem is Samwu gave their members bad advice and now put them in jeopardy. The City is eager to alternate the fire agreement but Samwu walked away from the bargaining council."