Striking workers building the uMngeni interchange over the N2 near Springfield Park say they are prepared to halt the project for as long as it takes to start talks between their National Union of Mineworkers shop stewards and the SA National Roads Agency (Sanral).
Yesterday morning workers demanding a R12 000 project bonus blockaded Umgeni Road with burning tyres and rubble.
The 400 workers downed tools four weeks ago after Sanral had told them there was no money with which to pay the bonus.
The R360 million project, jointly financed by Sanral and the eThekwini Municipality, has already been hit by delays.
It is expected to be complete in May next year, eight months later than originally planned.
“We were willing to negotiate on this R12 000; we were waiting for the company to tell us how much they can afford as opposed to the bonus money we demand, instead of just saying there isn’t any money and leaving things at that,” said Siyabulela Gqola, a shop steward.
He said the R12 000 had only been a yardstick that the workers had been willing to negotiate upon.
“Unfortunately the company did not want to negotiate with us, and then along the way they also said we would get this money once the project had been completed,” he said.
Gqola said workers had blockaded the road yesterday because they felt they were being ignored by Sanral and Rumdel Cape/EXR Joint Venture, the company contracted by Sanral for the project.
“They think just because they are ignoring us we will go back to work, but we will do this every day, even if it’s for three months, till someone pays attention to us,” he said.
Gqola said their reason for blockading the road was to also get the eThekwini Municipality to pay attention.
“We were hoping that our municipality could also somehow intervene and help us.”
Another shop steward, Mfezeko Nkomo, said workers did not trust the company to pay the bonuses in full at the end of the project and would prefer to get the money in stages.
“We would prefer to make an agreement to the effect that if a certain part or stage of the construction was done, then we would get a certain percentage of the money, because we don’t trust the company to give us all the money at the end of the project,” he said.
Sanral project manager Ravi Ronney said: “This is a dispute between the contractor and the union representing the labourers. Sanral is not involved.
“The contractor was given an extension to complete the project by May 2014. Already they have lost one month of work at the site on this extension period. We empathise with motorists who have to endure the brunt of the strike,” he said. - The Daily News