Vavi tells Mbalula: talk less, do more

South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has taken pot shots at Police Minister Fikile Mbalula, saying there should be less talk, jive, rhetoric and shiny suits with bow ties, and more action.

He said the minister must instead fix the problems of the workers.

Vavi was addressing about 100 staff members of the police’s 10111 call centre, who marched to the police headquarters in Pretoria demanding better salaries.

They gave government seven days to respond to their demands, which included being upgraded to a level 7 salary scale (R226 211 p/a).

He also took a swing at suspended national acting commissioner Khomotso Phahlane, saying he was correctly suspended “because he tried to undermine an agreement with former national police commissioner Riah Phiyega”.

“Wherever you (Phahlane) are, continue playing the music from your R80 000 music system,” Vavi said to the delight of the marchers.

In 2013, the 10111 staff met Phiyega and the then Gauteng provincial police chief Lesetja Mothiba – who has now been appointed interim acting national police commissioner – to address members’ concerns regarding their salary level at the police call centre.

A task team recommended on the report that the salary level at 10111 should be upgraded to salary level 7, which was also approved by the provincial management and the benchmark report, was sent to Phahlane for approval.

According to Saftu, a task team was formed to benchmark 10111 staff salaries against other government call centres, including home affairs, the SA Social Security Agency, the SA Revenue Service, Crime Stop and the presidential hotline.

But after the evaluation was completed in October last year, Phahlane said the posts would be converted to constable posts as stated in the Police Act.

South African Police Union deputy chairperson Peter Ntsime said: “The police do not want to take the members seriously and also don’t want to come on board at the bargaining council.

“We are now going to give the minister seven days to address the issue and, if he fails to do that, we will have to close all the call centres.”

Vavi said the police wanted to convert the 10111 staff from the Public Service Act into the Police Act.

“They will take only those who are below the age of 45,” Vavi said. – virginiak@citizen.co.za