However, this was dismissed as untrue by the City’s Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi. “It’s business as usual in our organisation,” said Mulaudzi.
“All our 28 fire stations throughout the city of Johannesburg are fully operational without any disruption.”
Read Firefighters’ strike unprotected
Overtime pay is at the heart of the dispute, as firefighters went on a no-pay-no-work stay away protest from 17 July, alleging that they were not paid for overtime between 4pm and 7pm every day. However, Public Safety MMC Sello Lemao apparently refuted these claims and said firefighters were not owed any overtime pay.
Sun, responding to Lemao’s statement said, “It is in clear contradiction of the firefighters’ allegations and the very bone of contention of the dispute. “If the City denies that it owes any overtime payment to the firefighters, I am afraid that the dispute will now only deepen between the City and the firefighters, and residents could suffer.”
Sun also alleged that Lemao had stated that all but six of the city’s fire stations were fully functional, but the MMC had not indicated which ones were not functioning. The DA councillor said he was informed by firefighters that there were no fire trucks at fire stations in Ivory Park, Kibler Park, Lawley, Roodepoort and Orange Farm.
Regarding the overtime dispute, Mulaudzi said the matter would be heard at the bargaining council soon.
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