Disgruntled former extended public works programme workers want Tshwane mayor to intervene in the battle over the termination of their contracts.
The workers said they have been trying for the last two years to regain their employment in vain. They even resorted to protest action “to get the authorities to listen to us – to no avail”.
They have now turned to mayor Steven Mokgalapa.
Former field worker at Sandspruit works association Jimmy Molamu and 29 others, said they signed a contract with the company, which operated under the Tshwane metro.
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Molamu said their job was to get meter readings and capture data for municipal water rates in Mabopane, Ga-Rankuwa and Winterveldt.
“We signed a contract in 2016, which did not specify that it was only for a year. We were surprised the next year when we saw other people doing our work. We contacted management, who promised to resolve it; but two years on, nothing has been done,” said Molamu.
He said he and other workers had meetings with relevant Tshwane metro authorities during which they were promised employment.
“When municipal elections were approaching, we had a meeting with management and were told Sandspruit work’s association no longer had money, but that it would be absorbed into the Tshwane metro. We were promised work at the metro,” said Molamu.
“We have sent an email to the mayor’s office to plead with him to intervene. We want our jobs back,” said Molamu.
Former data capturer at Sandspruit work’s association Celia Khalo said the termination of their contracts “hit us hard”.
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She said while others were unable to find any work, she also could not get a social grant for her child.
Khalo said the South African social security agency rejected her application for a child support grant because records showed she was still employed by the metro.
“They told me that I earned a salary of R12 000. I was surprised by this because I am unemployed,” said Khalo.
Another data capturer Kate Tlou said she had not been able to get employment at other institutions.
“I applied for an internship at George Mukhari hospital earlier this year. My application was rejected. I went to the human resources department to enquire and they told me it was rejected because according to records I am employed by the Tshwane metro,” said Tlou.
Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the metro formulated a new programme, which stipulated that every EPWP worker be employed for only a year.
Mashigo said former workers were aware of this stipulation.
“We do not employ workers permanently. We only offer workers contracts, which lasts for a year. This has been clearly indicated on the EPWD programme,” he said.
“We are pleading with these workers to send their identity documents to our HR department, via email, to verify if they are listed in the system as municipality employees,” said Mashigo.
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