Anger over paving project boils over

THE ANGER and frustration over the non-payment of salaries of Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers reached boiling point on April 25, when workers barricaded the entry and exit roads in Floors.

The EPWP workers who were appointed to pave Karee Road in Floors said they are yet to see a salary payment from the Department of Roads and Public Works.

“We were appointed to work on this paving project two months ago. We have not received any payment for the past two months. When the first month passed and we saw that we were not paid, we were promised that we would be paid in the coming week. We continued working, believing that the matter would be resolved. As the weeks however continued, we got no word on what the problem was. Nobody even came to explain anything to us, we were just left in the dark,” they said.

The workers said they marched to the department in search of answers.

“This is now the second month and we are heading into the third month and we still do not know whether we should continue to come to work. When we went to the department we were told that our names were not on the system, yet we signed papers stating that we are employed on the project. How come we are now ghost workers? Also, how did we manage to get our hands on the uniform if we were not legally employed?

“All we want is to receive our salaries for the past two months as we have responsibilities at home. Our families see us getting up and ready for work each morning, yet we have been returning home empty-handed. That is so frustrating as we have no explanation to give to our families.”

They added that the local residents were getting frustrated with them.

“The residents in the street at first blamed us for not completing the project. They are also angry and frustrated with the road being in such a state. They keep asking us for answers on when the project will be completed and we are not able to give them any answers.

“They have, however, seen the challenges we have encountered with regard to the tools we require to do our work. We have not even been provided with the tools to do our work and we have been borrowing tools like wheelbarrows and spades from the residents in the area.

“We have been committed to this project and we want to complete it. We also have not been lazing around on the street corners but have been keeping busy trying to keep the street clean. There are many people who see EPWP workers as being lazy when they see them, however, people do not know the frustration some of us face.”

Residents in the area stood in solidarity with the youth who were employed on the project.

The residents blame the department for not taking their needs seriously.

“This project was supposed to have been completed by now, we do not understand why it has been lingering on for so long. There is a paving project currently in Homestead and that project is at a progressed stage. The material for the road in Karee Street has not even been delivered yet. We are subjected to living in this dust. After the road was scraped, no further progress was made on this road. How long will we be subjected to these conditions?” the residents asked.

They said they did not blame the EPWP workers for closing the roads.

“It appears that burning tires is the only language that the government understands. We have seen the workers show up for work each day for the past months. We even had to assist them with tools so they could just do their work. It is unfair that the department is turning its back on youngsters who want to work. We were also shocked that they were subjected to working without any compensation.

“The department does not regard the needs of its workers nor does it regard the needs of residents in this street.”

The head of ministry for the Department of Public Works, June Grey, addressed the EPWP workers and community members during Tuesday’s road closure.

Grey requested the workers to select a representative who will chair a meeting with the department.

“I am not aware of the problem but we want to solve this matter. We need three people to sit in on a meeting with us and to voice the grievances of the workers in order to find a resolution. We will give feedback once the resolution has been reached,” said Grey.