Construction workers down tools over ‘mistreatment’
The workers of Edilcon Construction resorted to downing tools, hoping that their actions would improve their working conditions.
Operations at a multi-million rand construction site on Cascades Road in Little Falls were brought to a halt on Monday, 17 September by workers demanding that labour-related issues be resolved.
The workers of Edilcon Construction resorted to downing tools, hoping that their actions would improve their working conditions. Accordingly to them, their working environment is marred by mistreatment, racism, oppression and the failure to pay subcontractors, which in turn leave workers without their pay and suffering.
The allegations are levelled against certain individuals within the company, holding positions of authority.
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Ashley Mama, the Zone 5 chairperson, who helped the workers to get their grievances across to management, spoke to the Northsider about the issues the subcontractors and workers of the company are facing. “Firstly, the workers are complaining about the intrinsic racism in the company, which we’ve raised with them. Also, the subcontractors raised concerns about the safety officer and site manager issuing wrong instructions. This is a profit-erosion tactic that aims to leave the subcontractors not making a profit and being unable to pay their workers,” he explained. He added that management often disrupts the workflow by asking workers to produce their identity documents, which Mama compared to the abolished ‘Dom Pass’ system of apartheid.
He also alleged that workers are being spoken down to and cursed by the site manager.
During an urgent meeting with Edilcon contract manager, Franz Fuchs, he responded to the concerns by promising to address the issues with those implicated and take the necessary steps. “We will never set up work to fail because we can’t afford to do so. We are here to produce a quality job for the client, within time constraints. The clients are very strict about quality and numerous contractors had to redo work on instruction from the client. We have to maintain a certain level of quality to satisfy our clients, because at the end of the day they are paying us,” he explained.
He emphasised that if there are concerns about the quality of the work being produced, “It’s nothing personal,” he alluded.
Takalani Tseisi, community liaison officer of the project, encouraged workers and management to engage each other to maintain peace, instead of brushing off concerns.
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