Most of Cape Town’s firefighters have embarked on a go-slow following a dispute with the City over overtime pay.
As from Tuesday this week, they are working only from 8am to 4:30pm.
The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) which represents close to 80% of the City’s firefighters, said it requests for negotiations with the City had been unsuccessful.
“This dispute we have with the City is not a salary increase; we have no issues with that. Our dispute is regarding the rate we earn when we work overtime, our allowance rate,” said SAMWU representative, Archie Hern.
“As per law, an employee must work 160 hoursa month, but firefighters work an average of 240 hours a month. During that extra 80 hours, we earn R71.12 per hour as opposed to the R153.96 per hour we earn during our regular shift. We feel that it is not right as we are working extreme hours but are not being paid for it. What we are asking for is that our allowance rate be the same as regular rate because right now it is less than half.”
According to Mr Hearn, the firefighters signed an agreement in 1991 that they would work beyond the normal 160 hours a month and that they would be paid an allowance for the overtime. But the rates for that allowance were only calculated in 1992.
Then in 1994, the City decided that fire stations would operate on a three-platoon one. This led to firefighters having to work 24-hour shifts.
“These systems were all put into place before most of the senior firefighters even started working. The cost of living at the population of Cape Town has risen so much since that time, but firefighters still have to earn our salaries and work in conditions that were decided during apartheid,” Mr Hearn said.
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the 1991 agreement had been signed regularly by the firefighters until 2007 although it had continued to have effect until 2010.
At that point, he said, the City and the firefighters’ unions – SAMWU and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) – had agreed to extend it until a new agreement was negotiated.
“When negotiations to review the collective agreement started, the City offered to increase the standby allowance to 30%, but this was rejected. Voluntary arbitration saw a 35& allowance offer tabled, which too was turned down,” he said.
Mr Smith added: “Similar 24-hour shift systems exist across the world and elsewhere in South Africa. The majority of firefighters prefer this shift system as it not only gives them a lot of personal time while on duty but also allows for multiple days off which gives them greater freedom than any other shift system would.”