Kempton Park killings fuel safety fears for women on late shifts

Unions want employers to provide safe transport for workers who finish late shifts as the deaths of women in Kempton Park fuel fears about travelling at night.

The Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA) and its affiliate, the National Union of Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Commercial, Health and Allied Workers (NUHRCCHAW), have called for urgent action to protect workers who leave their workplaces after dark.

The unions say women working late shifts should not have to walk to taxi ranks or find their own way home through areas where they already feel unsafe.

Their call comes as police investigate the deaths of women found in Kempton Park and other parts of Ekurhuleni.

WORKERS SAY THEY ALREADY FEARED LATE-NIGHT JOURNEYS

NUHRCCHAW says workers raised safety concerns before the recent killings put Kempton Park under intense scrutiny.

Some workers reported robberies and threats while making their way to taxi ranks after 23:00.

The union previously proposed transport assistance for employees who work late, but says the employer rejected the proposal.

FEDUSA general secretary Riefdah Ajam said workers should not have to put their lives at risk to earn an income.

“Workers should not have to choose between earning a living and getting home safely,” she said.

The unions now want employers, government and organised labour to address the risks workers face when they clock off late.

SHOP STEWARD’S ORDEAL ADDS TO FEARS

Concerns intensified after a NUHRCCHAW shop steward was reportedly kidnapped in Kempton Park on Sunday, 13 September.

Authorities later found her safe.

FEDUSA said the shop steward had taken part in wage negotiations and pushed for improved safety measures for workers.

The federation wants authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Her ordeal comes at a time when women across Kempton Park have raised concerns about their safety following the discovery of several bodies in the area.

MUST EMPLOYERS PROVIDE TRANSPORT?

South African labour law already places conditions on employers who require staff to work at night.

Section 17 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act states that employers may only require or permit night work by agreement and when transport is available between an employee’s home and workplace at the start and end of the shift.

The Department of Employment and Labour has also indicated that employers must consider practical measures when their working arrangements expose employees to identifiable risks.

This means the debate goes beyond whether employers want to provide transport. In certain circumstances, the law already places obligations on them.

However, some higher-earning employees fall outside parts of the BCEA that regulate working hours, including provisions governing night work.

UNIONS WANT ACTION NOW

FEDUSA and NUHRCCHAW want the Department of Employment and Labour to intervene where workers say employers have failed to address their transport concerns.

They also want businesses that rely on late-shift workers to review how employees get home once their shifts end.

The call comes as police increase patrols and deploy additional resources across parts of Ekurhuleni.

Investigators have not confirmed that one person killed all the women whose deaths they are probing and continue to test possible links between the cases.