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The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West has learned with disappointment that some construction companies in the province, but which are not from the province, treat the workers unequally.

COSATU is informed that the companies treat the workers who are local employees so badly that they are not even allowed to take sick leave and not provided with protective clothing, while their counterparts who the company has brought on-site from outside the province are getting good treatment from the employers.

COSATU is also informed that some of the companies use more foreigners than local labour and this perpetuates the unemployment and poverty in the communities where the projects are taking place.
COSATU is also informed that local women are given heavy duties while their male counterparts who have come with the company are given light duties.

One case which COSATU can cite is in the construction of the road between Ganyesa and Mmadinonyane where Murray and Roberts is busy with the construction and the workers are given such treatment; when they raise this they are threatened with dismissal or given final written warnings. We have also observed the same in the construction of the N4 between Rustenburg and Swartruggens.

Workers are treated very badly, and are working under bad conditions. They must be paid properly and treated the same as those who are coming with the company. We are busy collecting information from all workers who are employed by construction companies in the NW and we will demand a joint meeting with those employers, government and the Department of Labour.

COSATU calls on the DOL to make sure that all the employers in the province, including the construction companies, adhere to all the labour laws and workers are treated equally. They must do inspections of all construction sites in our province before the end of next week Friday.

COSATU also calls on the Department of Public Works and Roads to make sure that the companies to which they award tenders will comply with the laws of this country
- See more at: http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=9765#sthash.YFQjQh7D.dpuf

Issued by COSATU