By Mark Ogagan
Traffic in the Johannesburg metropolis was in chaos Wednesday morning as the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) embarked on a strike action.
The law enforcement officials downed tools on several routes during peak hour traffic.
Some of the protesters said the industrial action was due to failed attempts to engage with the city about their grievances.
Workers are calling for the city to increase their salaries and adjust overtime hours.
However, talks are underway to resolve an illegal strike that brought traffic to a standstill in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday morning.
In February, metro police officers sent a memorandum of demands to the city of Ekurhuleni, calling for the metro to adjust their salaries and pay out benefits owed to them.
Officers said they also want a reinstatement of the overtime hours that were reduced.
“Overtime was taken away – which is almost like our salary. We have been earning overtime for more than 15 years…”
Meanwhile, hundreds of officers involved in the strike delivered a memorandum of demands to officials at Ekurhuleni Civic Centre.
EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, MMC for Community Safety in Ekurhuleni Sizakele Masuku, EMPD officers and South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) representatives deliberated behind closed doors on the demands made in the memorandum.
SAMWU chairperson Chris Mabunda said they had to address the matters raised on Wednesday.
Outside of salary adjustments and overtime, officials also want danger pay, which they said they are not receiving.
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