Electrical contractors blow their fuse at eThekwini Municipality

ELECTRICAL contractors working for the eThekwini Municipality have blown their fuse over the city’s lack of work.

The contractors said they work in the Ethekwini Municipality’s Electrical Division, Construction and Maintenance of the Electrical Infrastructure.

These also include 1000 workers in the house service, connections, street lighting, maintenance fixed team, panel revenue and metering sections, they said.

The contractors handed over a memorandum of demands to the city voicing their concerns.

“We’ve witnessed unfair and abuse of electricians by the municipality. A drop in working standards and work ethics thereof. Drop in Revenue Collections due to relevant contractor’s staff contract terminated. Failure or lack thereof to adhere to government conditions of contract by municipality,” reads the memo.

Last month, Berea Mail reported on a similar issue by contractors in the city’s Water and Sanitation department complaining about a sudden lack of work.

ALSO READ: Durban plumbers complain that work has run dry

Also in the memo, the contractor say the city has stopped giving them work while illegal connections continue to operate unabated.

“The Revenue / Metering section has been put on hold for more than ten months in a row. This means less revenue is collected for electricity usage which promotes illegal connections, because why pay for lights when your neighbour is given free electricity by the municipality,” reads the memo.

In a recent full council meeting, an ANC majority rejected an amendment by a DA councillor to have monthly meter readings.

Currently, the city does a meter reading once every quarter (three months) and then calculates estimated figures based on it.

In council documents, the city said they have expedited their graduate programme which will assist in capturing accurate meter readings.

However, the contractors have questioned the city’s strategy of training new electricians if there is currently no work for them.

The contractors said the maintenance, street lighting, tree cutting and construction contracts have not been renewed since last year because of exhaustion of funds.

Msawakhe Mayisela, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, said they are still studying the complaints and will respond in due time.

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