COSATU condemns the latest attack on fire fighters by the City of Cape Town

4 May 2021

The Congress of South African Trade Unions Cosatu in Western Cape is highly disturbed and disappointed in the way the City of Cape Town is dealing with the grievances raised by the Firefighters. The City is refusing to comply with the Basic Condition of Employment and Occupational Health & Safety Acts. They are refusing to negotiate with SAMWU to get rid of an old apartheid agreement since 1996.

 That agreement has been unilaterally changed by senior managers for them to benefit on standby allowances at the expense of firefighters. Firefighters are also now subjected to possible dismissals by those managers and the City.

These are the same firefighters that was called heroes by the City of Cape Town and the people of the Western Cape during and after the recent fires in April 2021 that are still subjected to this draconian agreement and policies. This a clear attack on workers’ rights and collective bargaining by the City.

COSATU has requested for an urgent meeting with the Mayor (Dan Plato) with the aim and objective to resolve this impasse amicably. Unfortunately, the Mayor decided not to meet with COSATU.

The City then took the unprecedented step to invite these fire fighters to a meeting to discuss this matter, but in the absence of their Union, SAMWU.

COSATU condemn this attack on our fire fighters and demand that the City of Cape Town go to the negotiation table with SAMWU.  We will not sit arms folded while our members and workers are being attacked by their employer.

Issued by Malvern De Bruyn on behalf of COSATU Western Cape, 4 May 2021