BARBERTON – Finance, economic development and tourism MEC, Pat Ngomane visited the Sappi Lomati sawmill last week. This was amid discontent by employees over proposed new shifts and questions over whether the mill qualifies as a provider of essential services during the Covid-19 coronavirus lockdown.
According to the mill manager, Piet Briel, Ngomane has confirmed that the mill is an essential service, and stated that it must operate during this period.
A letter by Briel, issued to Sappi Lomati employees, read, “Union representatives must urge employees who have stayed away from work due to their uncertainty about whether the mill is an essential service or not, are to please report to work on Monday.”
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According to the letter, subsequent to the MEC’s visit, management had established a Covid-19 task team that includes the union representatives. They will be collaborating on issues raised by the employees and will review the social distancing measures currently in place to reduce potential exposure to the virus.
All workers who elected to stay at home were requested to return to work on Monday by the unions, which management agreed to.
The letter continued, “After successful consultations with union representatives, the following shifts were and staffing changes were agreed to:
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- Primary production Shift A will start their shift at 08:00 on Monday. Shift B will rotate as per the normal schedule.
- The secondary production Verboom day-and-night shift production process will stop and employees who work in this section will be deployed in the business as required.
- The SKFJ plant will continue as per its current schedule.
- Engineering management will inform engineering employees of the way forward.
Employees who were absent from March 27 to April 3 will be required to complete a leave form and their absence will be regarded as leave. For those with no leave days, this time will be taken as unpaid leave.
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Special measures have been introduced for employees in the high-risk areas within the mill. These have been designated as high risk due to the impracticality of implementing social distancing within this area.
“Employees in these sections were issued with and instructed to wear special masks which now form part of this section’s personal protective equipment,” the letter concluded.
