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Samwu gives McBride-ultimatum
25/07/2007 00:12 - (SA)
Schalk Mouton, Beeld
Johannesburg - About 10 000 East Rand members of the SA
Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) are reportedly threatening to go on strike unless Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride is suspended.
Samwu is complaining that metro police officers who had any grievances against McBride were summarily suspended, while McBride himself was able to "stay at home and sort out his private affairs".
Ekurhuleni mayor Duma Nkosi said on Saturday that McBride would have a leave of absence
following charges relating to his car accident near Centurion
in December last year.
Samwu's East Rand branch organiser, Koena Ramotlou, warned that striking members would "totally cripple the metro council if he's not suspended". Air their grievances
Eighteen members of the Ekurhuleni metro police had been suspended from their posts in the past year because they wanted to air their grievances about McBride, Ramotlou said.
Eleven of them were suspended for wanting to testify against McBride before a commission of inquiry appointed by the metro council to investigate complaints of corruption, abuse of power and damage to council property.
Ramotlou said some members were suspended on charges of undermining authority without the necessary disciplinary steps having been taken.
By contrast, he said, McBride hadn't been suspended even though he damaged council property when he crashed the car.
"We want him to be treated like any other member of the metro police," Ramotlou said.
"When it comes to McBride they require prima facie evidence of his guilt, whereas other members are suspended based on rumours."
Still awaiting disciplinary hearings
The commission was formed at Samwu's request in March, after McBride and other members of the metro police allegedly fired rubber bullets at striking Samwu workers in Alberton, Springs, Benoni, Primrose and Germiston.
Ramotlou said the enquiry was unilaterally cancelled by the council and Samwu was not given any feedback on the action.
Meanwhile, 40 other suspended metro employees had been sitting at home for more than three months awaiting disciplinary hearings.
Ramatlou told Sapa that McBride had to be suspended for damage to council property "like they have done with other employees".
"We wonder what they reported to the insurance company when they claimed for the repair of the council vehicle."
Probe the cause of payment
Samwu claimed that the municipality was footing the bill for McBride's legal costs on charges that were not work-related.
"We view the decision as a direct fruitless expenditure. If they continue to pay for the court battle, we will approach the Public Protector and national treasury to probe the cause of payment," said Ramotlou.
Patrick Flusk, Ekurhuleni's city manager told Beeld on Monday that he had studied the commission's report, and found that all the allegations in it were "without any basis".
Ramotlou said the enquiry was far from complete and a large number of union members, including various metro police officials, still had to testify.
Flusk could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
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