The Road Traffic Management Corporation has vowed to deal with the “unacceptable” illegal strike by members of the National Traffic Police‚ who have refused to leave their base over workplace grievances.

The national traffic officers went on a go-slow on Monday‚ with half of the 40 officers per shift going out to enforce national traffic laws on the country’s major roads.

The go-slow however failed to draw the attention of their superiors and they decided to up the ante by embarking on an illegal strike on Wednesday.

The officers have since refused to leave their deployment base in Midrand‚ north of Johannesburg‚ to do their traffic policing duties on the country’s major routes until their grievances are resolved.

Simon Zwane‚ RTMC spokesperson‚ said they were aware of the “unacceptable action” undertaken by some members of the National Traffic Police.

“The Corporation is committed to good labour relations and engagement with its employees but it will not tolerate ill-discipline and will not allow itself to be held to ransom. Appropriate action will be taken to ensure that the situation is corrected and there is no hindrance in the functioning of its traffic police service‚” he said.

The officers‚ who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal‚ told TimesLIVE they were treated in an inhumane manner and had no enough equipment to carry out their duties.

One of the burning issues is that they have been removed from their offices in Faerie Glen and “dumped” in open veld near Midrand‚ with a single mobile toilet for about 40 female and male officers.

The fenced-off open area‚ which this publication visited on Wednesday adjacent to the SA National Roads Agency offices in Samrand‚ does not have a shelter and the officers have to take refuge in their cars to escape the blazing sun or heat.

“This is not fair at all. We are literally dumped here. There are at least 40 officers per shift‚ who have to share a single mobile toilet that has no sanitation facilities. When it’s hot or when it rains‚ you have to sit the car‚” a male traffic officer said.

The officers also complained that they were not consulted whenever decisions that affected their lives were taken; saying their shifts were changed at a drop of a hat without allowing them a chance to adjust and make arrangements.

They used to receive a R370 cell phone allowance‚ 350 megabytes of data and 50 SMSes per month but all these perks necessary to carry out their duties and to call for backup have been replaced with walkie-talkies.

“The push-to-talk does not receive or make phone calls. We are unable to call for backup as these things are inaudible. Also‚ investigating officers handling cases of drunken driving are unable to reach us‚ which results in dockets idling and cases dragging forever‚” one officer said.

The officers said they were no longer allowed to take the marked state issue vehicles home and were now forced to take taxis to work‚ which they said exposed them to danger as they were in uniform and carrying firearms.

“You take an unroadworthy taxi off the road and then the following day you are in the same taxi commuting to work. This is embarrassing‚” he said.

The officers have vowed to remain on the base and will not go out to carry out their policing duties‚ leaving the country’s major national roads without a visible national traffic police presence‚ until their grievances are resolved.