JOHANNESBURG – The South African Poling Union (Sapu) on Friday announced the temporary suspension of the 10111 call centre strike that was expected to have continued at the weekend.

Sapu general secretary Oscar Skommere said the strike was temporarily suspended to give the negotiations led by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), a chance.

“As a responsible and progressive union we have decided temporarily to suspend our industrial action for the benefit of the public we serve. The CCMA initiative must be given a chance to unfold without any undue pressure,” Skommere said.

“Sapu will attend the Monday CCMA meeting with an open mind. The suspension of the strike must not be viewed by management as a way of us giving in to their arrogance.”

READ: Popcru distances itself from 10111 protest

He said the union was communicating with its members about returning to their posts on Saturday morning.

“The mediation process led by the CCMA is a positive step towards finding a lasting solution to this problem that we have been trying to solve with the SAPS [South African Police Services] management for the past four years.”

The union would update members and the public about any new developments, Skommere said.

The 24-hour crime-reporting 10111 call centre deals with emergencies and complaints from the public.

When it announced the strike, Sapu said its members were among the lowest -aid call centre workers. 

African News Agency