Denver Isaacs
5 December 2008
COMPLAINTS about the long working hours of Windhoek's refuse collectors are threatening the capital's status as one of Africa's cleanest cities.
Since the beginning of this week a number of streets in some of the capital's suburbs were not cleared, as talks between the "overworked" garbage men and the municipality were not conclusive.
Refuse removers are said to be putting in up to 20 hours of work a day, at times working from 04h00 to midnight.
Some of the workers spoken to argued that the municipality is in gross violation of the new Labour Act - reportedly allowing the approximately 62 waste collectors in its employ to rack up overtime of up to 300 hours per month.
While this overtime substantially raises the garbage men's salaries, shop stewards who spoke to The Namibian argue that the situation is unacceptable.
"We've spoken to management about this since 2004.
It's not safe for them to work the hours they do, especially hanging from those trucks as they do," one shop steward, who asked not to be named, said on Tuesday.
Yet despite the long hours put in by the workers, many of the areas serviced by the City still complain about late pick-ups of garbage in their areas.
Residents of Windhoek West, who took out their garbage on Tuesday as scheduled, only heard the refuse truck pass through their neighbourhood on Wednesday morning.
Likewise, residents of Khomasdal complained yesterday afternoon of the truck's no-show in that area.
"On Friday we left work at around ten [22h00], the guys were too tired," a worker told The Namibian.
It is understood that a meeting was held on Tuesday afternoon between members of the municipality's Waste Management Department and shop stewards.
According to information received unofficially from that meeting, municipal officials acknowledged that they were in breach of the Labour Act, and resolved to revise the schedule to try and remedy the situation.
When contacted about the situation on Tuesday, Chief of Solid Waste Bennie Amuenje said shop stewards had only reported the problem to him this week.
"How can he say that when he is the one who signs off for these guys' payment?" a shop steward countered.
A query sent to the municipality's public relations office on Tuesday was still awaiting reply yesterday.
Information received from the municipality yesterday was that a decision was reached during the day, that regardless of the work load, garbage men would from now on only work up to 13h00.
"They even sent a letter to the Labour Commissioner today in which they noted the dilemma they are in," a municipal source said.
Sources spoken to said the increasing size of Windhoek because of urbanisation is the main cause of the extra workload for garbage men.
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