Feleba S

Eskom contracted company exploiting workers

Hi! I would like to report a company called Shabonga Cleaning Services cc, which is contracted by Eskom at Kendall Power Station to offer cleaning services. First of all, workers are paid meagre wages of R20 per hour but the company registers that they are paid R37/hour on its books every time they are requested to submit company books for review. Secondly, workers are not paid to work on weekends, even though the company has made it mandatory for them to report for duty. What breaks my heart, is the total disregard of human lives by this company to expose its workers to harsh cleaning chemicals that they have to use at cleaning office carpets and halls within the power station. They are not even issued with PPE's like masks. They are told to use their own masks. They have to handle skin-sensitive chemicals with bare hands. Eskom's local management is aware of the workers' plight but it has opted to turn a blind eye and pretend as if it's normal. My wife has been coughing and vomiting the whole day of 09 October 2020, due to the fact that she's been exposed to these chemicals. She has been constantly complaining of dry and burning chest. She has lost taste and smell and I don't know if she'll live to see another day. The Department of Labour did visit the station on the last of week of September and they were made aware of this blatant abuse of workers but they, too, did nothing about it. I'm so appalled by this company's conduct and its total disregard of human lives and its exploitation of workers.