COSATU Gauteng supports POPCRU picket at SAPS headquarters in Pretoria

21 June 2022

The Congress of South African Trade Unions(COSATU) in Gauteng supports the picket by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) at the South African Police Service headquarters in Pretoria on 22 June 2022.

We condemn SAPS for exploiting police trainees and failing to pay their stipends for the past two months. This practice by SAPS management is common in government departments where trainees are treated unfairly and undermined. It started with non-payment of teacher assistants and student nurses and now has escalated to police trainees.

The continuation of such practices by government is an illustration of its disregard for workers and their rights. We will advance our fight against unfair treatment of workers and defend our members against this heinous act by government.

As part of unity and solidarity of workers, we call on our affiliates in Tshwane to release members and shop stewards to attend the just picket by POPCRU.

We also call on police management to pay the stipends and fix the living conditions of trainees with immediate effect.

Issued by Louisa Modikwe, Provincial Secretary, COSATU Gauteng, 21 June 2022