Pollsmoor cooks stew over wages

Fee bearing image – Cape Town – 141203 – Employees of the catering company BOSASA, contracted to provide food to inmates at Pollsmoor prison, were chased out of the prison premises after asking for a salary increase and better working conditions. Reporter: Francesca Villette. Photographer: Armand Hough

Fee bearing image – Cape Town – 141203 – Employees of the catering company BOSASA, contracted to provide food to inmates at Pollsmoor prison, were chased out of the prison premises after asking for a salary increase and better working conditions. Reporter: Francesca Villette. Photographer: Armand Hough

Published Dec 4, 2014

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Cape Town - Chefs and kitchen staff contracted to prepare meals for inmates at Pollsmoor Prison went into day two of an unprotected strike over wages on Wednesday.

The 27 hired by the Bosasa Group are demanding a salary increase of 8.5 percent in addition to the 7.7 percent they were given in July.

Pollsmoor spokesman Mkhanyisi Spendu said the the prison still had enough staff available to cook for the inmates. “All our offenders are still eating. It is not a crisis at the moment. We have an agreement with Bosasa and they are taking care of it.”

Bosasa is a service provider contracted by the prison to provide meals and maintain the kitchen.

Spokesman Papa Leshabane said its labour relations department was being consulted about the strike. “Yes, we have staff members who have embarked on an unprotected strike. We are dealing with this unfortunate situation as swiftly as we can.”

Fundile Njivela, a chef from Westlake, said he earned a basic salary of R3 500.

He said working at the prison meant he put his life in danger every day and that he needed more money as the job was “high risk”.

“We need change to come quickly,” he said.

The strikers gathered outside the prison on Wednesday after being barred from entering the grounds.

Another striker, Nwabisa Sebolai, who travelled to Tokai from Khayelitsha every day, said the money she earned was not enough to sustain her.

“I go home with very little money. I don’t think it is impossible for them to consider paying us more,” she said.

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