The South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) has fiercely criticized the City of Ekurhuleni for what it calls a “draconian” crackdown on nearly 400 Metro Police officers, who now face possible dismissal over their participation in a disruptive illegal strike earlier this year.
At the heart of the storm is a mass disciplinary action targeting 389 Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officers who joined a strike on March 19, 2025, in protest over frozen salary adjustments and cuts to overtime compensation. Their protest caused traffic chaos across Gauteng, as key highways were blocked by officers demanding better pay.
City officials responded swiftly — and severely — by suspending the officers and issuing them pre-dismissal notices, accusing them of gross misconduct and breaching the Labour Relations Act, which explicitly bars essential service workers like law enforcement from striking.
But SAMWU isn’t backing down. The union has slammed the city’s actions as a “blatant assault on worker rights,” accusing Ekurhuleni of abandoning dialogue in favor of heavy-handed punishment. The union is now preparing a legal challenge, calling on the city to retract the dismissal notices and return to the negotiating table.
Disciplinary hearings are currently underway, and while suspended officers await their fate, the city has slightly extended the response deadline to the notices. Still, tension remains high.
Adding to the pressure, the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has weighed in, raising alarms about how the suspensions might weaken law enforcement and compromise public safety. The committee has urged the city to put interim safety measures in place to ensure community protection isn’t jeopardized.
As this standoff intensifies, all eyes are on Ekurhuleni’s leadership — and whether worker justice and public security can find common ground.
