Durban - Expanded Public Works Programme workers stormed City Hall for the second time this week to demand that their salaries be paid to them.
It was the second day in a row on Tuesday that EPWP members have made their way to the doors of City Hall. On Monday, they stormed an operations meeting that as they demanded to meet with city’s chief financial officer Krish Kumar, who had promised them that the matter would be addressed.
This morning the group of about 50 people were singing and shouting outside the hall. One of the protesters who asked not to be named because she was scared that she might be victimised said many of their insurance policies were in danger of lapsing.
“Our children have no food to eat, they go to school with nothing as there is no food to eat.” she said.
The mother of four said she has been working with EPWP for the past four years.
“We are tired of going to ask people’s houses asking them to loan us money,” she said.
If they did not receive the money today, then they would once again go back to City Hall she said.
Other people said they had problems that salary payments were not on time and could come a few days after the 25th of every month.
Sibusiso Chamane, deputy head of EPWP in the city said the matter had been resolved.
“There were findings by the auditor general about the rates of payment and those were resolved. They workers should be paid as from today,” he said.
Chamane said this as executive council members of the city had to come out and pacify angry crowd promising that the matter would be resolved. They said this as Metro police were stationed outside the hall to ensure that a repetition of yesterday's events was not repeated.