Durban - EMPLOYEES of the Verulam Testing Centre temporarily downed tools on Wednesday morning, demanding that the eThekwini Municipality provide them with gloves, masks and sanitisers.
However, when gloves and sanitisers were provided, they wanted better sanitisers.
One, who asked not to be named, said the president had condemned the gathering of more than 100 people, but testing centres were always highly populated. They worked with many people but were not given masks, sanitisers or gloves.
“All we’re asking for is equipment so we can help people, but we were told that if we don’t want to work we should resign and go home. Our lives are at stake, and we also have families and children,” she said.
“Other areas have measures, but we don’t. Our jobs require us to take money and identity documents from customers, and we have to touch them when we take their fingerprints.”
She said they were not on strike, but were calling on the municipality to provide them with equipment so they could work safely.
In the morning the gate to the centre was closed and only people there for learner’s and driving licence tests were allowed in.
A few hours later the municipality provided employees with three buckets of sanitiser and gloves, but no masks.
Staff said they were told masks would cause unnecessary panic.
“We were not given smaller bottles to pour the sanitiser. We had to rummage through bins and find bottles,” one said.
However, they decided they would not work and waited for better sanitisers.
A report from testing centre management to metro police head Steve Middleton stated that sanitiser had been bought in bulk, along with small spray bottles. The bottles were filled and given to staff.
Management hoped there would be no new complaints today.