About 60 Bitou law enforcement officers and firefighters on Wednesday claimed they had lost their jobs after being informed by the local municipality that their contracts, which were due to expire in June, had been terminated with immediate effect.
The group, who gathered at the Piesang Valley Community Hall on Wednesday after hearing the news, said they were shocked.One of the affected workers, Bitou law enforcement officer Neil Cupido, said they were told on Tuesday evening to attend a meeting at the local council chambers where they were informed of their fate.
He said that they had been told their contracts, which commenced in November and were set to expire on June 30, had been ended due to financial reasons.
Cupido said that there had been no prior notice and they were yet to receive termination letters.
Many of the group had been working for the municipality as part of the Extended Public Works Programme since 2013.
Sacked law enforcement officer TK Gqabi, who was hailed a hero over the past week for his role in tracking down a murder and rape suspect, said without the EPWP workers there would be a major shortage of hands to deal with public safety effectively.
He added that there were only about 10 permanently employed law enforcement officers, including learner officers and management, within the municipality.
Firefighter Mandla Speelman said the termination of their contracts felt like a slap in the face and might be illegal, as there had been no warning.
The Bitou Municipality was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of publications.
The contract workers said they have contacted their respective unions and would take the matter further.
- African News Agency (ANA),
