Waste staff take stand over poor work conditions
MORE than 60 workers at a waste company in Berlin downed tools this week, accusing their employer of unfair labour practices, not being given tools of trade while also claiming they were being exploited.
The Compass Medical Waste Services workers have also accused the company of not allowing them to be unionised, an allegation that has been dismissed by the employer.
But the workers have vowed to continue with their strike until their demands are met. The workers are complaining that:
● They are working 24-hour shifts;
● Their working hours are being “docked”;
● They are underpaid with no basic salary;
● The company does not provide transport for them when they return to work at 1am from collections;
● They are exposed to dangerous acids and fluids, as they do not have overalls; and
● Do not have medical aid. Xolani Mnyango said although he had been working for the company for over five years, he was still not permanently employed.
“Our biggest issue is that they do not want us to have a union because they do not want a union fighting for our rights, because they know they are abusing us. We work such long hours and there is no basic salary. We earn for the hours we work.
“In addition, they [company] dock our hours, meaning that if we work past the normal working hours, they still do not pay us for those extra hours. That means for those hours we spend on the road are for nothing,” Mnyango said.
Another worker, Vumile Dali, said despite them working in a hazardous environment, they do not have medical aid.
“There are fluids we are exposed to, but the company does not care. In addition to all of that, they do not provide transport for us,” he said.
Andile Phethani said he got sick last year in Tarkastad, and the company made arrangements for the truck he was driving to be collected and brought to East London.
“After being in hospital for three days, I had to hitchhike back to East London,” Phethani said.
When the Dispatch visited the company this week, more than 10 trucks were stationed inside the locked yard and no work was being done.
Compass Medical Waste Services industrial relations manager Shantell van Jaarsveld said the staff were embarking on an unofficial strike.
Van Jaarsveld said as far as management was concerned, the staff were attached to the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa (Giwusa).
“The strikers’ conduct is disappointing as, assisted by their union, they referred a dispute to the CCMA in respect of a demand for organisational rights, which dispute is set down in the CCMA on 21 June 2018.
“However, before the CCMA has had an opportunity to determine the very dispute referred to it by the strikers and the trade union, they took the matter into their own hands,” said Van Jaarsveld.
She would not be drawn into commenting on the other issues identified by the staff, saying: “Compass is unaware of any other issue in dispute.”
The workers said they had been trying to be members of Giwusa, but the company has allegedly been preventing this.
Giwusa provincial organiser, Mzwakhe Ntoyakhe, said even though the workers had signed up membership forms, Compass had allegedly told the union that it was not recognised.
“Yes, there is a matter going to the CCMA on June 21, but the workers are angry that the company is trying to cripple them for fighting. Two months ago they fired 17 people on bogus theft charges because they want the workers to be scared and stand down. We stand by our members,” Ntoyakhe said. —