Emalahleni Housing Company workers down tools
She pointed out that the relationship with the security service providers was terminated following its desertion of duty and endangerment of employees.
Emalahleni Housing Company (EHC) workers picket at the company premises after they downed their tools.
The workers started their tools down on Monday, October 11 and said they had enough patience with the company management and the board. They claim that they are owned salaries after working for two months without pay.
They are complaining that the company management and the new board do not take care of their welfare, and that is why they decided to picket on the company’s premises.
“We have run out of patience, and we are not taken seriously by the company management. We have not received our salaries for the past two months, and we are still owed our salary increases for the last three years. We have on several times asked for a meeting with the management to get clarity on salary issues and other concerns, but no one is prepared to address us,” said the workers.
The workers are also complaining about one IT official who have allegedly been switched to take a position with the maintenance team and now giving orders, and yet he is not part of the management team.
It is also alleged that Ms Zanele Shongwe, acting CEO has been in the position for the past three years, and yet they were promised that she will act for a few years. During her term, 10 employees have resigned, and she has also changed the security companies in the company without any valid reasons, complained the workers.
The workers further alleged that management is now outsourcing work in the company, even work that is supposed to be done by maintenance workers, costing the company money and yet the company claims that it does not have money and the workers viewed that as corruption.
They also claim that the outsourcing companies are using the company tools to do their work. They claim that they are forced to use company vehicles; even though some of them are not roadworthy (one van has worn-out tyres).
Ms Shongwe in response said until September 2018 the company had a rental payment rate of 95% at Uthingo Park. As a result of political interference and promises made by certain individuals, whose promises were believed by tenants, but never kept, the rental payment rate since then has dropped to 26%.
“This, unfortunately, has had a negative cash flow effect on EHC. Notwithstanding the financial difficulties the organisation has been facing since September 2018, employees have been receiving their full salaries with no salary cuts whatsoever, even after things worsened due to the Covid-19 pandemic which affected our paying tenants. It is only now that the September salary payment is behind. We understand the frustrations of employees, as management, we face the same fate. Our directors are experiencing the same, having not received sitting fees for several months,” reads a statement from Ms Shongwe.
She further indicated that they were requesting the employees to put more effort into maintenance duties, refuse removal and placement of new tenants to keep the rental payment rate.
The board and management believe that service delivery to their paying tenants is of utmost importance and if proper service delivery is provided, the situation will improve. It is also said that some paying tenants have since stopped paying rent and some have vacated because of the lack of proper security and service delivery.
The company has not outsourced its service at this stage except security, which has always been outsourced and issues related to major electrical repairs.
“EHC is particularly hard hit by the burning and vandalism of electrical infrastructure, with six mini-substations having been burned to date and the main transformer (with repairs having cost about four million rand between July 2020 and July 2021). The bypassing of electricity meters by some tenants who do not want to pay for electricity, but EHC is obliged to pay electricity to the municipality, vandalism and burning of empty units and in some cases occupied units. There have been deliberate, coordinated and well-planned attacks on tenants who are perceived to be paying tenants in an attempt to financially cripple the company,” added Ms Shongwe.
She further said that any allegation of misconduct against individual employees will be investigated, and necessary actions will be taken and that she has been appointed by the board as an acting CEO from April 2021 after the resignation of the former CEO.
She pointed out that the relationship with the security service providers was terminated following its desertion of duty and endangerment of employees.
She said salaries will be paid as soon as practically possible.
“We desperately require the support of employees and the community as a whole to overcome its challenges,” said Ms Shongwe.
*Mpumalanga MEC for Human Settlement, Mr Speedy Mashilo met with the workers on Monday, October 18 and will again meet with company management and the board to find a solution to the problem.
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