Agents threaten to close down police call centre
Call centre agents say salary increase was agreed to in 2013
On Tuesday, about 40 police call centre agents demonstrated outside the Western Cape Police offices in Alfred Street, Cape Town, demanding a salary increase and better working conditions.
Placards read: âWe say no to exploitation by SAPSâ and â10111 is a Specialised Unitâ. They sang songs and toyi-toyied.
Helen Fritz of the South African Police Union said the workers wanted their salaries to be increased from level five to level seven. âIn 2013, we had an agreement with police management that their salaries would be increased to level seven. Nothing has happened since then,â she said.
Police call centre agent Zimasa Mzimkhulu said, âWe work six to six shifts [6am to 6pm; 12 hours] and we struggle to get transport to work and back to our homes. As a result, we use trains, which are unreliable.â
The call agents want management to provide transport.
Mzimkhulu said the headsets they used were threadbare and they sat on broken chairs at the offices in Maitland. âThe management never even visit us to see the conditions in which we work,â she said.
âIf the bosses continue to neglect us and fail to respond to our demands within 14 working days, we will shut down the call centre,â she said.
Call centre agent Mthobeli Matyolwana said conditions at the SAPSÂ centre were poor in comparison to call centres for SARS and Home Affairs.
âOur toilets are blocked and they smell,â he said.
The workers handed over a memorandum of grievances and demands to Western Cape Deputy Police Commissioner Mzwandile Mzamane. âWe will see how to respond to your demands and grievances that fall under our purview,â he said. âWe will escalate the memorandum to the national office.â
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