ELM pays R2 million for unsafe building

VANDERBIJLPARK. – Employees are threatening to sue the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) for failing to protect their lives and forcing them to work in an unhealthy environment.
The workers, based at the the Revenue Customer Service Centre abandoned work to raise their concern over the unsafe working conditions on Friday. They marched to the office of ELM Executive Mayor, Gift Moerane to demanded his intervention on the unbearable stench emanating from the building and the constant sewer spillage in the basement of OK building in the CBD of Vanderbijlpark. It is alleged that ELM pays R2 million per month in rental fees for the building.
The spillage has affected the structural integrity of the building rendering it unsafe for habitation. Workers also demanded that they be returned to ELM’s main building. Workers complain about the various kinds of sicknesses they experiences including running stomachs, swelling eyes, itching faces and pregnant women having miscarriages.
The workers said in a month, there were about fifteen people taking sick leave due to the working conditions.
The workers pointed out that both the Municipal Manager (MM) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) have been informed about their frustrations, to no avail. After a lengthy meeting, Moerane accompanied workers to check the affected areas himself. “We will try to utilise containers for the workers while we are busy with the issue here,” Moerane said after he had told employees to stop working and resume their duties on Monday, June 10.
Moerane further said that there is no way the workers can be expected to perform at their best of their ability in the unhealthy environment. “I must also approach the landlord. There is no way that money will be paid for the building to a company not taking the lives of the workers at heart,” he said.