The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU) has adopted a programme of action and elected new leaders to move the union forward in the Free State province.
This comes as the union continues its drive of electing new leaders to various of its provincial structures through it 10th Provincial Congresses which began in Gauteng over a month ago.
In the Parys at the weekend, Popcru congress saw the re-election of Thabo Lefalatsa as the Free State provincial chairperson.
Lefalatsa will be supported by Deputy Chairperson Booysen Vincent Ntoyi, Provincial Secretary Sibongile Ramahlokoane, Deputy Secretary Thapelo Motaung, and Provincial Treasurer Mpho Mashane.
In a statement on Tuesday, Popcru spokesperson, Richard Mamabolo indicated that the union is hard at work trying to eliminate the issues facing its members in the criminal justice cluster across the country.
Congratulating the provincial leaders on the election results, POPCRU President Thulani Ngwenya called on the delegates present to implement a “vigorous campaign” in defence of collective bargaining.
“The events of the past few weeks, and the composition of the new Government of National Unity, have proved that now, more than ever, workers on their own. We must act to protect workers’ rights and defend collective bargaining, and bring the issues facing our members directly to the doors of departments and provincial commissioners,” he stated.
“I am confident that you are up to this challenge as leadership, and that you will prove that members are not lost within POPCRU – they remain up front and centre at all times. So, as we seek to grow our organisation even further, our focus must remain on servicing our structures with energy.”
Ngwenya congratulated the Free State’s provincial executive committee and delegates on the achievements realised over the past two years.
These included substantial progress on its training and development efforts, with an emphasis on capacity building at regional levels.
In 2023, the union’s Free State arm facilitated a training workshop for 30 paralegals to hone their skills as shop stewards.
Throughout March this year, it further provided 78 shop stewards with relevant political training, and has committed to deploying further paralegals and shop stewards to CCMA workshops as notices become available.
According to the union, some of the issues affecting law enforcement in the Free State include improper suspension procedures, non-payment of overtime during elections as well as dilapidated community corrections facility in QwaQwa.
“Traffic officers within the Department of Community Safety, Roads, and Transport had raised concerns about improper suspension procedures being followed by the department’s management, as well as a lack of policy compliance, issues in governance, and issues with uniforms.
“Popcru delegates further criticised the department for sending junior staff without decision-making authority to represent management in meetings with its representatives – a situation that the union emphasised would not be allowed to continue.
“Additionally, the Regional Labour Forum highlighted the extremely dilapidated condition of the community corrections building in QwaQwa, which had led to a site visit by provincial leadership and the identification of alternative accommodation,” the union said.
In response to the issues raised, the union said it has adopted key resolutions to intensify advocacy and lobbying efforts at both provincial and national levels, focusing on better working conditions, fair remuneration, and comprehensive support systems for members.
“Additionally, the union committed to prioritising the continuous education and professional development of members through access to training programmes, workshops, and resources to enhance skills and knowledge,” said Mamabolo.
The Star