By Anees Teladia

The Building Industry Bargaining Council (BIBC) has been under scrutiny by sub-contractors recently, following accusations of unfairness and exorbitant monies being demanded and received by the BIBC. Sub-contractors have now decided to conduct a march to Parliament to hand over a memorandum of complaints to the Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant. The march is scheduled to take place on Thursday 24th April at 10:00 a.m. starting at Keizersgracht Street and ending with the handing over of the memorandum at parliament.

“The issue at hand is to do with our sub-contractors. [It is regarding] the exorbitant amount of monies they have to pay to the BIBC, as well as where they [the BIBC] make the sub-contractors non-compliant,” said member of the Building Society of the Sub-Contractors, Sulaiman Adams.

“We feel the unfairness of the BIBC does not do justice to us as sub-contractors, nor to our workers. We had this discussion previously on the Voice of the Cape and we raised our concerns that our sub-contractors are suffering.”

“Therefore, we decided we can do this on our own, we don’t need a BIBC.”

Another member of the organisation, Shafiek Fakier said the sub-contractors had no choice but to take their grievances to the streets, as their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

“We are the guys that have to pay the exorbitant amounts to the BIBC. The main reason for us to march to parliament is to hand over a memorandum to the Minister, to express our grievances,” said Fakier.

The aim is to close the BIBC, according to Adams.

“There is a need to get rid of the BIBC. They’re not looking in the interest of the sub-contractor,” said Adams.

“The memorandum entails our unhappiness with the BIBC and the exorbitant amount of monies our sub-contractors have to pay. We want to make it clear to the Minister of Labour that we are going to fight this and that we are not happy that we were not party to this ‘collective agreement’.

“We haven’t given the BIBC the mandate to represent us, nor our workers.”

Adams calls for members of the building industry to unite and help their cause.

“I want to say to all members of the building industry, whether a plasterer or electrician: please come out. We need all of you to support us in this fight. We need the support of the people because it’s for the betterment of ourselves and future artisans.”

“We are calling on all members [of the Building Society of the Sub-Contractors] and to the greater people out there to come out and support us in our march tomorrow, Inshaa Allah,” said Adams.

For further information regarding the march, contact any of the numbers listed below:

083 636 8855

082 742 3435

073 969 0123

VOC