Hundreds of Public Works workers march against termination of contracts

Hundreds of workers who had been working on month-to-month Expanded Public Works Programme contracts marched to the Durban City Hall on Friday in protest against their contracts not being renewed at month-end. Photo: Tsoanelo Sefoloko

More than 300 Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers in eThekwini municipality marched from King Dinuzulu Park to the Durban city hall to protest the termination of contracts that had been extended for ten years.

Represented by the Municipal and Allied Trade Union of South Africa (MATUSA), workers said they have been on month-to-month contracts for more than a decade and have several times protested for full time contracts.

Their march on Friday comes after they were told their contracts would not be renewed after 25 July.

MATUSA general secretary Thulani Ngwenya said there had been numerous marches and demonstrations demanding an end to exploitation of the workers, yet the municipality was not taking them seriously.

Ngwenya said they would contest the termination of contracts at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

“We are doing this because we believe that workers are paying the price for the incompetence and ignorance of the eThekwini municipality administration.”

He said the union was demanding a meeting with the municipality within three days to address “all issues”.

Silindile Mashobane said she had been working on a month-to-month EPWP contract for more than ten years and received a letter on 15 July stating the contract would not be renewed after 25 July.

“I am shocked that after working for eThekwini municipality for over ten years they just decided to end our contract without giving us notice. I work in the waste department. I have been cleaning the street in the central city working night shift most of the time. Even if it rained, I worked,” said Mashobane.

Nompumelo Mgomezulu said she had been an EPWP worker since 2013.

“We were working on a month-to-month contract but sometimes they used to tell us to sign for a six-month contract,” said Mgomezulu.

She said when she started in 2013 she took home R2,000 per month before UIF deductions, but following several protests over the years, their wages were now R4,000 per month.

Special advisor at the Premier’s office, Sabelo Gwala, accepted the memorandum at and promised he would hand it to the Premier before the end of the day.

Gwala said Premier Thamie Ntuli wanted to accept the memorandum in person but he was in Cape Town where he attended the opening of Parliament.

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