Possible strike for city firefighter following allegations of 500 being fired.

 The SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) says firefighters are being required to work long hours without any form of compensation.

Although City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, rejects the allegations and also denied wanting to fire 500 firefighters

The union has threatened to march to the Civic Centre on Saturday in a bid to convince City bosses to not fire more than 500 firefighters and will also march in support of decent work and working conditions.

The City said the current shift agreement, to which Samwu was a signatory, had been declared valid and binding in terms of a Labor Court judgment and remained in force until a new agreement was negotiated between the parties.

A leaked email between Samwu and a City official, said that it was willing and prepared and open to consider favorably a settlement offer and concede that the firefighters accept the sanction of a final written warning with a suspended sentence of four days’ unpaid leave.

By Everngelista Muza