Construction workers fume over 'abuse'

WINDHOEKSELMA IKELAWorkers at Tau Pele Construction claim they are being abused and have cited an incident in which an employee was allegedly gun-pointed by a site manager and another during which an employee was chased with a panga.The company is currently upgrading the B1 between Rehoboth and Windhoek.Workers gathered at its office in the Northern Industrial Area on Wednesday to raise their grievances, which they say have not been addressed so far, including the gun-pointing and panga incidents.Those who spoke to Namibian sun on condition of anonymity, because they fear being victimised, said the overalls they received were now worn out.According to them, some employees are wearing casual clothes to work, while others are wearing blue overalls from previous companies they worked for.&quot;Imagine if my previous employer sees me wearing his company uniform at my current job,&quot; said one employee.Another worker added: &quot;I bought my uniform at Pep after the one I received from the company got old.&quot;The worker said those working at night were at risk of being hit by cars, because they do not have reflective jackets.Others claimed they were not being paid N$11 per hour, as stipulated by law and that their overtime has been cut since April this year.&quot;We don't know why they calculate our overtime wrongly. If you work eight hours overtime, the company only pays four hours,&quot; one worker said.He said although the company had stated paying their back pay, they were still owed money.These workers said they do not have pension.Another concern raised was that they don't have a safety officer.They said a week ago an employee was injured by a machine while on duty and lost a lot of blood.&quot;We also need a first aid kid to assist our colleagues when they are injured,&quot; one worker said.The workers complained that since their colleague was admitted to hospital, none of the management has visited him.They added that two workers were living in one tent, forcing some employees to buy their own tents. Now the company wanted to take back the tents they had originally issued, leaving workers to once again share a tent, they said.The workers also complained that they are being transported to the site in a truck, along with the equipment and machinery.&quot;The company should at least provide us with minibus,&quot; said one employee.When approached for comment Tau Pele contract manager, Tiaan Badenhorst, told Namibian Sun they would be meeting with the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers union ( MANWU) soon and can only give feedback when all the issues are resolved.

Construction workers fume over 'abuse'

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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Construction workers fume over 'abuse'

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Namibian Sun 2025-07-04

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