WHAT entails being a firefighter in Johannesburg today?
WHAT entails being a firefighter in Johannesburg today?
All your colleagues have been striking for weeks, leaving you to bear the brunt of having to respond to emergencies across the city.
A prominent doctor was killed in a fire in Rosettenville and a fire engine had to respond to the crisis from as far as Randburg.
The other night a firefighter was leaving for work when he received a phone call that his house would be burnt down if he went to work.
I have heard about firefighters having to visit their colleagues in hospital after they were assaulted for taking part in the strike.
So not only do firefighters have to worry about the normal stress of their jobs, but they also have to stress about the untenable situations in which they are working at the moment.
The logical thing for firefighters to do is to approach top management and appeal to them to protect and assist non-striking workers in trying to carry out their duties.
Unfortunately this is not the case in Johannesburg, where those who ran to their superiors were not paid at the end of the month. In fact, those who went to work were threatened and those at the Roosevelt fire station were nearly bombed at the weekend.
This has really been a test for the politicians and officials in Johannesburg.
It is a pity that the elections are over since to my mind the city has had three strikes - Metrobus, Johannesburg Metro Police and now emergency services.
We should have baseball rules applied to our city - three strikes and you are out!
Darren Bergman, Gauteng
Firefighters need protection
WHAT entails being a firefighter in Johannesburg today?
WHAT entails being a firefighter in Johannesburg today?
All your colleagues have been striking for weeks, leaving you to bear the brunt of having to respond to emergencies across the city.
A prominent doctor was killed in a fire in Rosettenville and a fire engine had to respond to the crisis from as far as Randburg.
The other night a firefighter was leaving for work when he received a phone call that his house would be burnt down if he went to work.
I have heard about firefighters having to visit their colleagues in hospital after they were assaulted for taking part in the strike.
So not only do firefighters have to worry about the normal stress of their jobs, but they also have to stress about the untenable situations in which they are working at the moment.
The logical thing for firefighters to do is to approach top management and appeal to them to protect and assist non-striking workers in trying to carry out their duties.
Unfortunately this is not the case in Johannesburg, where those who ran to their superiors were not paid at the end of the month. In fact, those who went to work were threatened and those at the Roosevelt fire station were nearly bombed at the weekend.
This has really been a test for the politicians and officials in Johannesburg.
It is a pity that the elections are over since to my mind the city has had three strikes - Metrobus, Johannesburg Metro Police and now emergency services.
We should have baseball rules applied to our city - three strikes and you are out!
Darren Bergman, Gauteng