The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Friday came out in support for prison warders in their dispute with the Department of Correctional Services.
Cosatu said a meeting of its public-sector affiliates on Thursday agreed on a programme of action to rally support for the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru). The affiliates hoped to help resolve the prisons dispute.
”Cosatu is calling for an urgent intervention to help mend the relationship between the commissioner for correctional services and Popcru that has completely broken down,” a statement read.
Mending the relationship, however, will not on its own address the underlying problems of ”chronic staff reductions” and budget constraints.
Department of Correctional Services spokesperson Manelisi Wolela said on Friday the position taken by Cosatu is unfortunate.
”It is our view that Popcru has acted in complete disregard of the department’s obligation to the security of the country,” Wolela said.
Wolela said a classic example of Popcru’s irresponsible attitude was their actions at Barberton, Bethal and Nelspruit last year.
Cosatu said the plan includes a solidarity campaign to be run from the Cosatu secretary general’s office.
All public-sector unions will also write to the ministers concerned in a bid to help resolve the situation.
These include Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour, Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel and Minister of Public Service and Administration Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.
”All public-sector unions and Cosatu regions would also mobilise support for Popcru’s protest marches in the Free State on January 18 and on January 20 in Gauteng.”
Wolela said the department remains resolute that it will not allow the security of the country to be compromised by a few officials.
During a Popcru protest in Kimberley on Friday, warders demanded that the Northern Cape get its own provincial prison management.
Popcru members protested against working conditions in the province and what they called management’s ”failure in core business areas and objectives”.
”Members from Springbok have to travel 2 000km [round trip] for meetings and other matters that needs the attention of the commissioner responsible whose office is in Bloemfontein,” Popcru spokesperson Velile Nqabeni said.
Prisons in the Free State and Northern Cape fall under one regional commissioner and management, stationed in Bloemfontein.
The protesters marched to the area office of the Department of Correctional Services in Kimberley, where a memorandum containing their demands was delivered.
Other demands include a solution for overcrowding in all prisons and the ”demilitarising” of the department.
”All 12 prisons in the province and the rest in the country are overcrowded and possess a health and safety risk to both prisoners and prison officials,” a statement said. ”The department also ignored government policy and again introduced the rank insignia system.”
The union also wants the reinstatement of Popcru members in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga who had ”opposed intimidation and victimisation of management”. — Sapa