New shift system on hold - Popcru

2011-06-07 10:44

Johannesburg - The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has secured a hold on the introduction of a new shift system for officials working at criminal record centres, Popcru negotiator Victor Dladla said on Tuesday.

The union had originally approached the Labour Court for an interdict against the SA Police Service's introduction of the new system, but attorneys from the national commissioner of police and the police minister said they would voluntarily put the implementation on hold to allow for further discussions.

Dladla explained that employees in the local and provincial criminal record centres used to work standard day shifts, with overtime for evenings, but a new system - a 40-hour flexi shift - was to have been implemented on June 7.

In terms of this system they would work two days on, two days on standby, and have two days off.

Consultations

Their work is to collect evidence at crime scenes and accidents, so their call out times are unpredictable.

Popcru said Saps management had not consulted labour on the new system.

This was the union's main issue, but underlying issues included officials not being paid overtime after being called to a scene out of hours because they were told there was no budget for this.

Bosses tried to overcome this by giving them time off at a later date but officials did not like the uncertainty of how they would be compensated for working overtime.

He said the new system also played havoc with their personal lives.

Popcru hope to agree to a process of consultation when it meets at the bargaining council before a decision to implement the system is taken.

- SAPA