Protect workers against crooked contractors

WASTE management workers in Cape Town have once again been left in the lurch by contractors who pay low wages and steal from them by half-paying them, delaying paying them, or not paying them at all, enabled by the City of Cape Town's policy of outsourcing services, even in cases where such services are part of the City’s core functions.

- MOEGSIEN ISMAIL MIKEL KUMALO-

Media reports and talk in the community and among waste management and Expanded Public Works Pro-gramme (EPWP) workers is that workers in Vrygrond, Seawinds, Lavender Hill and surrounding informal settlements are being exploited by heartless City of Cape Town contractors.

Waste management workers in these areas employed by City of Cape Town contractors have not been paid for three months, since September. They go to work every day, hoping that their hard-earned money will be paid so that they can put food on the table and provide for their families.

The City of Cape Town contracted Manandi Services to manage the contract for cleaning the informal settlements of Military Heights, Overcome Heights, China Town and Village Heights. When the project started, Manandi Services did not have tools. The workers borrowed tools from the community or brought their own cleaning tools to do the work.

Manandi Services was fired from the project for poor delivery while still owing money to the workers, and Itha-lomso was contracted but also failed to pay the workers.

Now members of our communities are facing a bleak Christmas and New Year.

Children cannot get Christmas clothes, a Christmas lunch, or school uniforms and stationery for the new year.

This is not a new problem exhibited by City of Cape Town contractors.

It usually starts from September onwards. They either stop paying salaries or start with short-pay or delayed payments. It seems like they are building up their funds for the festive season for grand holidays with their families.