10111 call centre operational in Richards Bay

The 10111 emergency call centre in Richards Bay remains operational despite the ongoing workers’ strike.

The South African Police Services has assured residents in KwaZulu-Natal that the call centres in Richards Bay, Durban, Hilton and Port Shepstone have so far not been affected by the nationwide strike.

About 5 000 operators represented by the South African Policing Union (SAPU) embarked on a national strike on Tuesday, demanding salary increases.

‘It has been more than two years since a joint task team, comprised of the SAPS and organised labour, recommended that 10111 employees be upgraded from salary level 5 to 7. The SAPS management has unilaterally decided to place police officers in 10111 call centres.

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‘This unilateral decision by the SAPS management is not only a way of undermining collective bargaining and negotiation, but compromises service delivery as it takes away the police from their primary duty of policing to be call centre agents, something that they are not trained for,’ SAPU said in a statement last month.

The SAPS said: ‘We are aware of strike action by Public Service Act employees attached to 10111 centres nationwide.

It is a protected strike and the ‘no work no pay’ rule applies.

‘Contingency plans have already been implemented and functional police members will perform duties at the 10111 centres countrywide. This is an essential service and there is a Constitutional imperative to ensure that essential services are provided to our communities,’ the police said.

Empangeni police spokesperson, Captain Mbongeni Mdlalose, also assured residents that contingency plans have been put in place and some police officers have been deployed to the call centre to ensure that the public is assisted.