THE Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union is not entitled to recruit student constables as members, the high court ruled in Pretoria yesterday.

THE Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union is not entitled to recruit student constables as members, the high court ruled in Pretoria yesterday.

Judge Moses Mavundla dismissed with costs Popcru's application to force the SA Police Service to allow student constables to join the union.

The union contended student constables were "workers" in terms of the Labour Relations Act and entitled to join the union. The SAPS does not permit student constables to join unions because they are not regarded as workers.

Judge Mavundla said it brooked no argument that the union had the right to recruit and workers had the right to join and belong to unions.

However, the relationship between a student constable and the SAPS was governed by the contract they had to enter into.

This provides for progressive phases of training and it was after completion that a student constable qualified to be a permanent police officer. - Sapa