SAPU withdraws court action after SAPS concedes defeat

The South African Policing Union has decided to withdraw the Johannesburg Labour Court action against the SAPS over the establishment of the Anti-Gang Unit in the Western Cape after the management came to its senses and conceded that it failed to consult all the stakeholders including labour prior to the establishment of the Anti-Gang Unit.

This might sound as a victory however this is not as consultation is a fundamental issue that we will never allow the management to undermine. SAPU has fought for collective bargaining since days of the National Negotiating Forum. The fact that the SAPS management has agreed to go back to the bargaining chamber and engage us, we have decided to give the negotiations a chance. We have taken serious offence to the fact that management has acted recklessly like this.

This reckless action by the management has forced us to take the legal route to protect one of the most important aspects in the life of the trade union movement, the collective bargaining process. Once again, SAPU states it categorically clear that we are not opposed to the re-establishment of specialist units in the police. Our position is well- documented that we were opposed to their disbandment in 2003. We want to put it on record once again that as SAPU we have never been associated with any political formation.

Those who were labelling us D.A sympathisers because of our position were off the mark. We are a non-political labour movement that fights for its member’s interests only. We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed into submission because our opponents will label us sympathisers of political parties. The politics of blackmail and name-calling will take this country to nowhere. The rhetoric and revolutionary slogans that some opponents always shout against us will not deter us from speaking truth to power. They will always label us counter-revolutionaries trying to silence us. True revolutionaries speak no lies.  

We would like to warn the management that the reckless action and arrogance of those in authority would not be left unchallenged. In future, such actions will have consequences. In going back to the bargaining chamber as per the prescripts, SAPU will ensure the interests of our members and the communities we serve are taken care of. We want to warn the political leadership and management of the SAPS not to undermine collective bargaining. We will support and endorse the establishment of the Anti-Gang Unit and other specialist units in the police provided due processes are followed including consultation.

We do not have a personal vendetta against the national police commissioner. As an accounting officer, the buck stops with him. The lack of capacity in the current SAPS management will always reflect badly on the performance of the police. 

Issued by Tumelo Mogodiseng, General Secretary, SAPU, 27 November 2018