Firefighters battling the fire in the Department of Health building in the Johannesburg CBD for the second day, 6 September 2018. Picture: Neil McCartney
Firefighters picketed outside Lakeside fire station in the Western Cape on Wednesday to make their grievances regarding wages known, EWN has reported.
One firefighter who wished to remain anonymous said that while they worked for up to 240 hours a month, they only get pensionable pay for about 160 hours.
He also claims there’s little room for promotion.
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The firefighters have reportedly made an effort to keep the protest action legal, as firefighting is an essential service.
“The firefighters that are picketing are off duty, some are seasonal and others are no longer in the service. So the fire station is still operational,” a tweet from EWN said.
While the protest is currently small, the firefighters say they are expecting colleagues to join them.
The dangers firefighters face were made clear after the recent death of three following a fatal fire in Johannesburg.
The top floor of the 23-storey of the Bank of Lisbon building, which houses the department of health, human settlements and cooperative governance, caught fire on September 6. The fire raged for 24 hours before spreading to other parts of the building down to the 16th floor.
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In addition to the deaths, about eight firefighters were hospitalised for injuries and smoke inhalation.
The three firefighter who lost their lives were Simphiwe Moropane, 28, Khathutshelo Muedi, 37 and Mduduzi Ndlovu, 40.
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