Johannesburg - The Public Servants Association (PSA) has condemned the suspension of dozens of employees at the Government Printing Works (GPW).
The GPW, as a component of government, provides printing services to all spheres of government. It operates as a factory with printing machines and equipment.
As a production and manufacturing company, it is thus compelled, in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), to provide and maintain a safe working environment without putting employees at risk.
According to the PSA, this includes providing employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimise risks. Such PPE items that must be provided to employees include safety shoes, overalls, gloves, ear plugs, and gloves to protect them against harmful chemicals, noise, paper cuts, sharp blades and heavy-metal equipment.
"GPW employees have, however, been working without the necessary PPE for months, despite several requests to management to provide such items. Some employees are now no longer willing to compromise their safety to meet the GPW’s service-delivery demands.
“On June 2, they informed the GPW that they were only prepared to work if there was compliance with the OHSA. Rather than responding to their plea, the GPW reacted by placing them on immediate suspension,” the union said.
According to the PSA, the suspension is unlawful and amounts to intimidation and abuse of power.
"The suspended employees raised the issue of lacking PPE in June 2022 and again in September 2022. All they received from the GPW were empty promises that PPE would be provided.
“The OHSA forbids the victimisation of employees who demand compliance from an employer. It further provides that employees should not place their lives at risk where employers are directed to provide PPE. However, contrary to the OHSA and other labour laws, the GPW management decided to abuse its power and subject these employees to disciplinary action."
The union said there had been several incidents at the GPW where employees were injured and harmed by machines and chemicals.
“Some employees have lost fingers that were severed by machines. One of these employees has been waiting for injury-on-duty payment for six years and is expected to continue working without PPE,” the union said.
Attempts to get comment from the Department of Home Affairs, which is responsible for the Government Printing Works, were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
The Star