Presentation by POPCRU General Secretary Abbey Witbooi

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Presentation by POPCRU General Secretary - Abbey
Witbooi

• Conference on police unionisation held in Kenya
  in August 2007

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Background

• POPCRU is a trade union in South Africa
  representing more than 120 000 Police, Prison
  Officials, Traffic Officers and Private Prison
  employees.
• It was established in 1989 at the height of the
  liberation struggle in the country.
• Our motto is Justice for All
• POPCRU is an affiliate of COSATU and PSI.

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Founding Principles

• The union was established to serve as a voice for
  black security services members who were
  compelled to enforce unjust laws.
• To integrate members back into the community.
• To entrench collective bargaining in improving
  the conditions of service in departments within
  which POPCRU organises.

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Historical Overview

• Prior to the establishment of unions,
  institutional racism was entrenched in the Public
  Service.
• There were huge Salary Disparities amongst
  various racial groupings, blacks being the least
  paid.
• Challenges with regard to promotion.
• Poor housing facilities for black members, such
  that some black prison officials were housed in
  prison cells.
• Non-existence of collective bargaining mechanism.

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Challenges

• Initially, the union had to operate in a hostile
  political environment.
• Police and Prison authorities refused to
  recognise the union until 1993 and 1994
  respectively.
• No access to a deduction facility.
• The police and prison services prior the
  democratic breakthrough were dived along racial
  lines.
• The union was hardly a year when it embarked on
  its first national strike.
• Slow pace of transformation and resistance to
  change.

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Challenges Cont

• Dismissal and Suspension of members
• Police management sponsored and encouraged the
  formation a rival union.
• Non acceptance of police and prison officials by
  communities, leading to the rise in police
  killings.
• Infighting.
• Inter-departmental Rivalry, especially between
  the police and corrections.

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Breakthrough

• The relations with management have improved.
• Independent bargaining structures in all sectors.
• Significant improvement on community relations.
• Deracialisation of the workplace.
• Active participation in transformation processes.
• Playing a meaningful role in policy formulation.

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Union Successes

• Membership has grown from 30 000 in the first 5
  years to more than 120 000 in 18 years.
• The union is now valued at more than 200 million
  rands including property.
• There are offices in all the nine provinces.
• The union employs more 70 staff members to
  strengthen its internal delivery machinery.
• There are ongoing leadership and membership
  development programmes fully sponsored by the
  union.
• .

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Union Successes Cont

• POPCRU is the majority trade union in all the
  sectors within which it operates.
• POPCRU has remarkable international contacts and
  has also embarked on twinning projects.
• The union has gained respect over the years and
  has thus become an authority on policing, traffic
  and corrections issues.
• In order not to solely depend on subscriptions
  for survival, the union has established a 300
  million rands worth of an investment company,
  providing tailor-made products at a preferential
  rate to POPCRU members.
• .

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Union Successes Cont

• The Union hosted a successful international
  symposium on police labour relations in 2002.
• POPCRU assisted Lesotho to host an international
  conference in 2006.
• The union just held its 7th National Congress in
  June 2007.

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Conclusion

• Our continued fight over the last 18 years has
  been inspired by the quest for justice and
  fairness.
• We hold the view that labour rights cannot be
  separated from human rights.
• The essence of collective leadership has kept us
  going over the years.
• We shall continue to wage our struggles alongside
  community struggles.

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