Wage dispute threatens project

DEVELOPMENT on The Hague Phase 2 and Eindhoven housing project in Delft may come to a halt due to wage disputes between local subcontractors and the hired construction company.

The subcontractors, part of the Delft local small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMME) network hired to do building and security work, said they had been working on the development since February.

They said work on the site was smooth sailing until they had to negotiate rates with Power Group, a civil engineering and construction company they were working under.

According to the subcontractors, they were hired to complete the construction of 1 100 unit houses in 18 months.

The rate was R8 900 per semi-detached house. The subcontractors allege they were promised by Power Group that the rate would increase.

Nothemba Klaasen, a subcontractor, said the going rate three years ago was R11000 per semi-detached unit. She said the construction company was paying them way below the going rate.

“If the company is refusing to sit down with us, then we might as well shut down work on the development. When we approached them about the negotiations they gave us no proper direction.

CLAIMS THAT SMMES WERE ‘THROWN UNDER THE BUS’ BY CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

“Soon after we found that at every round table discussion we had with them and the local ward councillor, things would get heated and people would just leave,” said Klaasen.

Lulama Vellem, a subcontractor who focused on building the foundations for the units, said following the unsuccessful meeting they were shocked when they reported for duty only to find that the site had been closed off.

“They closed it for three weeks. No one said anything to us about the closure. It was the construction company that decided not to work that day. They don’t even want to consult with us,” he said.

Early this month, beneficiaries, subcontractors and the construction company as well as local councillor Courtney van Wyk were invited to a meeting to clear the air.

Delft Collective security chairperson Qondile Piliso said at the meeting that SMMEs were thrown under the bus.