Overtime dispute

Most of Cape Town’s firefighters have embarked on a go-slow following a dispute with the City over overtime pay.

“As per law, an employee must work 160 hoursa month, but firefighters work an average of 240 hours a month. During that extra 80 hours, we earn R71.12 per hour as opposed to the R153.96 per hour we earn during our regular shift. We feel that it is not right as we are working extreme hours but are not being paid for it. What we are asking for is that our allowance rate be the same as regular rate because right now it is less than half.”

“These systems were all put into place before most of the senior firefighters even started working. The cost of living and the population of Cape Town has risen so much since that time, but firefighters still have to earn our salaries and work in conditions that were decided during apartheid,” Mr Hearn said.

The agreement signed in 1991 lapsed in 2010, and the firefighters withdrew from it completely in 2017 and 2018.

Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said the 1991 agreement had been signed regularly by the firefighters until 2007 although it had continued to have effect until 2010.

At that point, he said, the City and the firefighters’ unions – Samwu and Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union (IMATU) – had agreed to extend it until a new agreement was negotiated.

“When negotiations to review the collective agreement started, the City offered to increase the standby allowance to 30%, but this was rejected. Voluntary arbitration saw a 35% allowance offer tabled, which too was turned down,” he said.

Mr Smith added: “Similar 24-hour shift systems exist across the world and elsewhere in South Africa. The
majority of firefighters prefer this shift system as it not only gives
them a lot of personal time while on duty but also allows for multiple days off which gives them greater freedom than any other shift system would.

“On average, a firefighter would spend four hours per day respond ing to fires, with longer hours during peak fire season and fewer operational hours during off-peak fire season.

“The 24-hour shift system is optimal from an operational point of view, as shorter shifts compromise effective fire responses.”

Last Friday, close to 400 firefighters marched in the city centre to hand a memorandum to the City warning of their plans for a go-slow and to demand an increase in the allowance rate.

“We marched last week, but nobody from the City came out to acknowledge us. Eventually the ity’s chief negotiator, Joe Barnes, came out to accept the memorandum, but this is the third time he accepted our memorandums since last
November and nothing has happened so we are not confident of anything happening this time,” said Mr Hearn.

Samwu threatened a go-slow in November last year but later decided against it.

“The plan was to do this last year but it was close to fire season and the firefighters decided to work. Tragically during that time, one of the firefighters, Candice Kruger, died in the line of duty on Table
Mountain. The firefighters are understaffed and underpaid, many stations have unfilled positions for as long as 18 months,” Mr Hearn said.