Durban metro police officers claim discrimination over work shifts and overtime

STAFF SHORTAGES

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

METRO police officers in Durban claim they have been discriminated against for refusing to switch to a five-day work week, resulting in unfair overtime allocation despite the department spending R20 million monthly on overtime payments.

Officers allege colleagues who switched shifts, are receiving both overtime and omnibus payments, while they are sidelined despite claimed manpower shortages. The officers, who did not want to be named, said they faced discrimination and victimisation for over 10 months, with no overtime.

The officers who are from Isipingo, Chatsworth and uMlazi, claimed officers who were working overtime were also paid “omnibus” payments.

These officers, they claimed, worked the two-day, two-night shift which they had opted for last year.

“Metro police are claiming to have manpower shortages, but we are being sidelined for overtime work,” they said.

Colonel Booysie Zungu, spokesperson for metro police, said: “Durban metro police is facing a challenge of manpower shortages. As a result, an average of R19 million to R20 million is spent on overtime each month.

“It is important to note that overtime expenditure varies throughout the year. Festive season and Easter periods cannot be compared to normal operational months, as these peak times require additional personnel on the ground to ensure safety and service delivery.