The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has given the Department of Correctional Services 14 days to reinstate 127 prison workers dismissed for striking illegally.
Popcru came up with the ultimatum at a special meeting of its national executive committee on Friday, when it also resolved both to continue negotiating with the department and to mobilise its members to fight the dismissals though festive-season prison disruptions.
The 127 Modderbee prison officials were dismissed during an illegal strike in July, after ”defiantly” ignoring ultimatums to disengage and abide by dispute resolution procedures. The department confirmed the dismissals on Thursday.
The department said the officials’ actions had compromised prison security and violated inmates’ rights as well as the legal ban on protected strikes or labour unrest in essential services.
A decision is still pending on the fate of another three officials who participated in the ”sporadic and unlawful activities” at correctional centres in Gauteng and other provinces on the weekend of July 4.
”Popcru supports this government, but we are confronted with these challenges in the department. Our members are now vulnerable and are facing a bleak future and therefore Popcru cannot fold [its] arms,” Popcru secretary general Abbey Witbooi said on Friday.
The union will decide on a firm course of action at the regular meeting of its national executive committee on November 19 and 20.
Witbooi said the department should tell Popcru what has happened to the proposals and recommendations submitted to Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour by the joint technical committee appointed to advise him.
Popcru officials are scheduled to meet the department’s senior management on Monday, said its national spokesperson, Pat Ntsobi.
The Department of Correctional Services was not immediately available for comment on Friday. — Sapa