GEORGE NEWS - A national roadshow to promote fair, safe and compliant working conditions in the construction industry stopped over in George last Friday - six months after the country's biggest building disaster hit the town on 6 May with the collapse of the Neo Victoria apartment block in Victoria Street.
This initiative is a collaborate effort between the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) and its social partners, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (FEM), and the Compensation Fund (CF).
"The construction sector is considered as high-risk by the department."
"By this we mean that you are more likely to get incidents and accidents, fatalities as well, and high levels of non-compliance," said Aggy Moiloa, inspector general at DEL, during their outreach at the King George Protea Hotel on 2 November.
"So it is no wonder that we decided to come together as different role players, partners, to try and address particularly the deficit as stipulated in the ILO's agenda: making sure that people working in that environment can enjoy their benefits, such as access to social security and being remunerated within the laws of our department. And in particular, making sure that health and safety standards are upheld."
Alexio Musiondo of the International Labour Organisasion's Decent Work Team in Pretoria.
The roadshow's objective is to promote occupational health and safety in the construction industry.
"Our idea is to bring everybody together to dialogue, and say how best we can promote health and safety, reduce the number of deaths in the sector, reduce the number of occupational accidents through this advocacy," said Alexio Musindo of ILO's Decent Work Team in Pretoria.
The public and all construction industry stakeholders, including employers, workers and unions, are encouraged to join the movement by signing the Decent Work in Construction pledge (www.fem.co.za/pledge) and commit to promoting fair, safe, and compliant working conditions.
Anyone can report instances of exploitation, non-compliance or unsafe conditions to their nearest labour centre.
Rian Pienaar, team leader of inspection and enforcement services at the Department of Employment and Labour in George.
Aggy Moiloa, inspector general at the Department of Employment and Labour.
Yoemma Bassier of Fem (Federated Employers Mutual Assurance).
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