Hundreds of people employed by EPWP in KZN demand salary hike, permanent jobs

HOWICK - Hundreds of people employed under the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and Community Work Programme in KwaZulu-Natal are demanding a salary increase and permanent employment.

Hundreds of workers gathered at a community hall in Howick in western KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.

They are raising concerns about corruption in the programmes, citing unfairness among other things.

READ: Macpherson seeking to make EPWP more transparent

Workers in public works programmes told Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson that their working conditions have been frustrating.

They said they did not have uniforms, tools, and protective gear among other things.

Many also raised concerns about their salary which is R960 per month.

"We don’t get pay slips, we don’t actually know what our salaries are, we just see the money coming into our accounts, the R900."

Responding to their concerns, Macpherson said that permanent positions were not guaranteed under these programmes.