Building safer workplaces, ILO kick-starts decent work interventions in Garden Route Municipality

South Africa, George (ILO News) - The International Labour Organization through the Decent Work in Construction Project, in partnership with the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL), the Building Construction and Allied Workers Union (BCAWU), and Progressive SMME Initiative (PSI), launched a set of catalytic interventions in the Garden Route Municipality.

This follows the November 2024, collaboration with the Department of Employment and Labour, the Federated Employers Mutual, the Compensation Fund, and other industry players in which a communication campaign in George and Cape Town was conducted to raise awareness about fundamental rights at work in the construction sector. The campaign mobilized the local community, workers, employers, government representatives and construction industry actors through media outreach, roadshows, and public engagement. 

The Campaign culminated in the signing of a Pledge by construction stakeholders, committing to promote Decent Work and safer workplaces across South Africa — a commitment now being realized through catalytic interventions launched in George. 

These interventions represent a direct follow-up to that pledge, translating the commitments made in 2024 into practical action aimed at strengthening compliance with labour laws, and at promoting labour productivity, particularly among small construction sector enterprises.

In his opening remarks at the Kick-off event, Member of the Garden Route District Municipality Mayoral Committee, Daniel Cronje commended the collaboration. He emphasised that, The Construction sector is more than bricks and mortar. It is also about peoples’ dreams, a family waiting for a home, a young worker hoping for a decent job, a small enterprise fighting to grow.

Mfundo George Tamba, a representative from the Building Construction Union, BCAWU, highlighted various challenges affecting workers in the construction sector and confirmed the Union’s eagerness and willingness to be part of the movement towards improving workers lives.

Cebisile a small construction enterprise, and Ruwacon, a large construction Company also participated in the kick-off event where they shared insights and experiences from their respective perspectives within the construction sector.

After the Kick-off event, the team then went on a Construction site visit to a “Breaking New Ground” Project, that had begun applying Decent Work principles. The visit offered a practical view of how small contractors are supported to improve working conditions, and to enhance site management systems towards achieving higher productivity.

These interventions demonstrated how collaborative partnerships are providing vulnerable construction workers and the small enterprises with strategies for attaining conducive working environments.  

A key feature of the new catalytic interventions is the capacity development of 25 small construction enterprises from the Garden Route Municipality. This will be done through the Progressive SMME Initiative (PSI), a Business Development Services Provider who has been constructed by the Project to train and mentor the enterprises on, labour law compliance and application of decent work principles and labour productivity strategies.

 The need for this intervention was aptly highlighted by the Chief Executive of PSI, Horatius Strydom, who noted that “when SMMEs prioritise safety and fairness, the whole sector moves forward.”