Random pick of names defuses jobs impasse
Besieged company hires desperate youths
The drawing of names from a box to hire workers saw the suspension of a three-day standoff that caused disgruntled unemployed youths to intimidate workers and block a R50-million RDP project .
For three days this week, employees from Patricia G Women in Construction (PGWC) could not work on a site in Tshepo, Phase 3, De Deur, south of Johannesburg, where 344 houses are supposed to be completed by the end of July.
Hundreds of unemployed youths were threatening workers with harm since Monday after the youth from Tshepong section were allegedly told by some people that the womenled company was refusing to employ locals.
This prompted unemployed youths to gather at the gate of PGWC offices every morning this week, preventing all the workers from going to the nearby construction site.
“We were all scared because they had a mandate to trash the offices. We’ve lost some work time, now I am forced to ask the human settlements department for an extension because we were supposed to finish by the end of July,” said company owner Patricia Gumbi.
To defuse the impasse, on Wednesday Gumbi suggested to job-seekers they write their names on pieces of paper and put them in a box in order to choose those who will be hired.
“It was a last resort to save the project and my workers from harm,” she said.
The selection was done and 48 names were chosen from hundreds in the box. They were immediately hired on a temporary basis to assist in the digging of trenches and they started working yesterday.
“This is a short-term solution as I had my back against the wall. Some of them don’t even have CVs nor skills,” said Gumbi.
Yesterday, Sowetan saw several desperate youths at the gate of PGWC offices still trying to drop off their CVs even though CVs were already piling up in Gumbi’s office.
ANC ward councillor Ananias Motsiehi said he hoped that more people would be absorbed on a permanent basis. “This confusion was caused by people who had political agendas,” said Motsiehi.
New recruits Sabelo Manjate and Lehlohonolo Raithule said they welcomed the arrangement but blamed community leaders for misleading them that the company was against employing locals.