ANC constituency chairperson raises concerns about labour opportunities at Hendrik Potgieter Road bridge rebuild
Claims of inadequate pay and labourers from other wards being given priority opportunities.
A potential labour dispute is brewing at the Hendrik Potgieter Road bridge rebuild.
To ensure opportunities are evenly spread, all projects require a certain amount of labour to be sourced from within the ward concerned. The connection may not be immediately made but Ward 85 includes a section of the Princess Informal Settlement near Westgate Shopping Centre.
Those living in and commuting through the detour necessitated by the project will be familiar with the ongoing struggles of the project. The continuing use of the small roads by large trucks, the deterioration of the road surface and the incessant traffic at peak hours have been daily struggles since January.
Chairperson of the ANC in Zone 5 and Member of the Parliamentary Constituency Office, Siya Masiza, acknowledges these issues but has raised an additional concern.
Masiza and his colleagues at the Zone 5 office, which covers all of the wards with Roodepoort, had a meeting with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Road and Transport (GPDRT) when the bridge collapsed and he states they were happy with the projected outcomes. He claims agitation is growing as they did not get clarity on why the initial contractor was removed and has raised concerns about the compliance of the new contractors, VEA Road Maintenance and Civils.
“There are some concerns that the community are raising in terms of the process followed in recruiting labour. The change of contractors created a disjuncture because we are still trying to engage on the issue of labour. The way things are happening now is raising a serious concern and we can not allow our people to be exploited,” said Masiza, who claims the residents of the informal settlement may disrupt the project if they are not heard.
Masiza believes that VEA has subcontracted the work out to a company that is employing labourers from outside of the ward. Additionally, he claims those who are employed there are getting well below the industry standard, saying the wage barely covers transport costs to and from Princess.
“We are requesting clarity, however, the officials at the GPDRT are dilly-dallying with this process. We don’t know what is happening,” said Masiza.
VEA project manager Zama Kokela disputed Masiza’s claims.
“We have a public liaison committee (PLC) in place on site and it feels to me that the chairperson is not communicating with his PLCs before commenting on these matters. Our site manager and project manager are always on-site or at least available telephonically to give clarity where required,” said Kokela.
“In future, there will be increased labour and employment of subcontractors for work such as kerbing, guardrails, tippers and gabions,” he added.
Masiza is calling on the GPDRT to intervene and assure his constituency that project obligations are being met.
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“The community is very impatient now. We are going to follow up with the MEC,” he said, referring to MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela who is in Spain attending an international public transport summit running until June 7. Officials at the GPDRT were contacted for comment on June 5 but no response had been received by the time of publication.
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Stating his sympathy for those living in the congested back routes, Masiza felt the November deadline was unlikely.
Outlining the small margins he concluded, “We really want to open that bridge but as much as we want to open it we can not do it at the expense of our community. Our community needs to benefit. They must benefit from the duration of the project. That 10 months can give them the relief of having temporary employment contracts that can make the lives of their family change for the better.”
