CSI experts get chop

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But some Gauteng Criminal Records Centre employees are still on work-to-rule.

In October experts in the police's criminal records centres - including fingerprint, DNA and photographic specialists - refused to work after 7pm because of an overtime-pay dispute and police management's "unilateral" imposition of new shift schedules. This meant that crimes committed after 7pm were not being immediately attended to by the specialists.

The flexitime system to which the specialists are objecting was introduced, according to police management, to ensure that employees on standby, and those who worked until midnight, did not have to be at work at 7am for a normal shift. Those taking part in the work-to-rule, however, said the new shift system was aimed at cutting down on overtime.

A team was established by the national forensic science laboratory in October to attend to crime scenes after hours after dozens of crime scene investigators refused to work past 4pm.

Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale, a police spokesman, confirmed the dismissals.

"Disciplinary processes were initiated where incidents of illdiscipline manifested themselves. Discussions [with other experts taking part in the work-to-rule] are under way at the Springs, Germiston and Vereeniging criminal records centres," he said.

Makgale said "all approved overtime monies" had been paid once police management had been made aware in July that overtime for May 1 to May 13 was outstanding.

"Though it is not procedural to work overtime without approval, management believed that officers had worked and should therefore be paid. The non-payment was a result of an administrative oversight," he said.

Makgale said the SA Police Union and the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union had lost their bid at the Safety and Security Sectoral Bargaining Council to stop the implementation of the flexi-time shift system.

A Springs crime scene investigator, who asked not to be named, said not all of the overtime due had been paid.

"We are expected to work this new shift system but are not being paid for the extra work. The new system is designed to cut down on our overtime. They pay us peanuts, expect us to work terrible hours and then won't pay us properly. We depend on overtime to make ends meet," he said.

He said the specialists' work-to-rule would continue: "Police management have threatened more of us with dismissal ...

"They intimidate us, telling those on sick leave that their doctors must write an affidavit confirming that they are sick. They must fire us ... they think they can win this but they can't."

Source: The Times