WORK on the Dedisa peaking power plant at Coega ground to a halt yesterday when angry workers downed tools claiming unfair labour practices from the main site contractor, Group Five.
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa)-affiliated mechanical site workers claim preferential treatment is given to workers from other provinces at the plant, while those from Nelson Mandela Bay are exploited.
They said Bay workers were not paid the same hourly rate as their counterparts from other provinces.
Bay electricians were paid R39.92 an hour while those from other provinces were paid R120, they claimed.
This week’s strike, which started on Tuesday, could delay what has been hailed as a possible solution to the rolling blackouts in the Bay as it will produce 342MW of electricity, half of the metro’s power demand. The R3.5-billion Dedisa power station is scheduled for completion by August.
Numsa claims that more than 1000 workers are on strike.
Group Five human resources manager Waylon van Wyk said after meeting the workers yesterday the company had made an offer that would hopefully end the strike. He did not want to divulge details.
The parties would meet today after Numsa had reported to its members about the new offer on the table.
Van Wyk said: “We are positive that we will reach an agreement with the union and hopefully they will go back to work after convening [today].â€
Before the meeting with the company, Numsa shop steward Sibusiso Matyolo vowed that they would strike until their demands were met.
“We want equal pay for the same job. Those from other provinces also get a transport allowance, accommodation allowance and lunch subsidy.
“We do not care about the other benefits, we just want equal pay. They can keep all their allowances as long as we are paid the same amount as those from other provinces.
“In the past they just told us to go back to work and promised to address our demands, but that never happens, so this time we will down tools until our grievances are addressed,†he said.
Another Numsa shop steward, Dominic Gallant, said the only training they received was for HIV awareness.
“What are we going to do with that? How is that going to make us employable in the future? People are doing their jobs but do not get any training.
“Coega is known for developing people, but this company is not complying. They say this plant is needed by Eskom to help end load-shedding, but work is at a standstill now because they are ignoring our demands.â€
The workers – welders, electricians, steel erectors and general workers – say that after every strike action their foremen threaten to fire them.
They also claimed that there were some discrepancies with money being deducted for a provident fund.
Seven police vehicles monitored the strike but there was no violence.
