Marine Drive road workers concerns addressed
At the time, the workers had claimed they were being paid late and that they were not registered with the Department of Labour, although they were taxed every month.
Road workers on Marine Drive between Margate and Ramsgate recently downed tools, which led to the closure of a section of road near Margate police station, have since returned to work.
The senior contracts manager at construction company Raubex, Pieter Sassenberg, said a meeting was held a week ago with all involved parties to address the concerns raised by the workers.
A few hours later, the road was re-opened, and work resumed.
At the time, the workers had claimed they were being paid late and that they were not registered with the Department of Labour, although they were taxed every month.
They also said that they had not been paid on time, sometimes not for the whole month, and this led them to the department’s offices to ascertain if they could claim their UIF.
However, when they got to the department, they found out that the system showed that the last time they had paid tax was in May, but in the meantime, they had continued to be taxed.
Sassenberg said after their meeting, a resolution was reached that accommodated the needs of the traffic management team and the subcontractor overseeing the project.
“We do not expect any further disruptions.”
He also noted that Raubex made timely payments to the subcontractor and that any delays in labour payments were addressed.
Project Liaison Committee (PLC) spokesperson Themba Zondi said he was disappointed by the workers for closing the road and downing their tools.
The PLC deals with the monitoring of the project.
Zondi said their role in the situation was to mediate between all the involved stakeholders.
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