The protest march by members of the Unemployment People’s Co-operative Federation of South Africa (UPCF-SA) and the Greater Nigel United People’s Parliament (GRENUPP) at the Gibela Rail train manufacturing site on March 2, delivered no meaningful answers which resulted in another protest march on May 25.
Once again, UPCF-SA and GRENUPP members took to the streets to advocate for transparency and fairness in the employment processes of the Gibela Rail project. According to UPCF-SA’s chairperson Tebogo Rakgabyane, Gibela has allegedly given the employment process over to the Department of Labour (DOL), which is said to be the facilitator of all employments made with regards to the project.
“A few weeks ago, we met with representatives from DOL who have confirmed that no specifications for the vacancies at the Gibela plant were sent through by the project’s management and they have, therefore, not been able to make any placements,” Rakgabyane said.
According to him it means that the DOL is in the dark just as they are, about the employment processes.
“We have been awaiting a response from Gibela following the previous protest march, but received nothing. Today we want answers,” he said in addressing members at the Gibela site in Dunnottar.
The UPCF-SA and GRENUPP said they are now declaring war against nepotism and corruption in the recruitment process for the Gibela project, as detailed in their memorandum of demand.
“Jobs must be granted on merit and our locals should be given first preference, so as to stimulate the local economy and curb unemployment within our area,” Ragkabyane said and added that organisations such as the UPCF-SA and GRENUPP need to be directly involved in the recruitment process, because the plight of the locals is best understood by the organisations that function within their environment.
The UPCF-SA and GRENUPP received no response whatsoever from Gibela nor Trencon (a subcontractor for the project) with regards to their demands and declared that they will not leave the issue until their requests for answers are met.
Dissatisfied with the manner in which the protest ended on May 25, GRENUPP and UPCF-SA, Rakgabyane said they will be taking their grievances directly to the Gibela Rail offices in Woodmead on June 8.
In its response to the memorandum, Gibela says the rejected demands are “designed to undermine its governance systems and procedures by relinquishing them to third parties”.
Gibela says the two organisations have no legal basis for demanding:
* removal of contractors and sub-contractors the company has appointed;
* management and operation of an access system on the construction site, without a formal tender system;
* access to all sourcing opportunities;
* selecting local CLOs at the construction site;
* establishing a fully functional office at site;
* forming part of the adjudication of tenders; and
* selecting local sub-contractors and suppliers.
Gibela, in its response, goes on to say it is factually incorrect for the memorandum to assert that Gibela is a government entity and that the company does not carry a mandate as described in the memorandum.
“Gibela is a privately held company, registered in the Republic of South Africa and Black Economic Empowerment-compliant with its share equity held by Alstom, Ubumbano Rail and New Africa Rail.
“The companies Act of South Africa, as well as Gibela’s world-class internal governance systems and procedures set forth in the parameters for the operations of the company on which it is audited periodically and annually by registered accountants.”
In response to the two organisations’ demand for an emergency meeting, Gibela says two members of the Stakeholder Forum do not have the authority to request an urgent meeting without a quorum.
“In the event that other stakeholders deem it necessary that such an emergency meeting be held, an agenda must be proposed, together with consent from the remaining stakeholders.”
In response to allegations regarding its recruitment process, Gibela says it has partnered with the Department of Labour in an open and transparent process designed to ensure a central collection point for CVs for all jobs required at site. Contractors and sub-contractors at site are required to source labour from this pool of CVs.
“To date, 12 000 CVs have been collected and, in line with the job requirements of a construction site that is still at mobilisation stage, 85 people have been recruited. Over the next few months, it is envisaged that 1 900 people will be recruited and employed on limited duration contracts.
“The recruitment drive is still on and people are encouraged to submit their CVs to the Department of Labour Centres in Nigel, Springs, Brakpan, Benoni and Boksburg.
In response to allegations of corruption, Gibela says it encourages and is open to receiving proof of illegal activities involving its employees and partners via the alert procedure, as communicated to all stakeholders and the relevant authorities, for prosecution.
