Green Apple employees decry ‘deplorable’ working conditions in Mmamabula
Employees of Green Apple Cleaning Services, a company subcontracted by Jindal Africa, who are constructing a multi-billion Pula power-plant in Mmamabula, say their bosses are rotten to the core.
Disgruntled workers raised serious concerns over what they describe as deplorable working conditions and abuse by company management, most of whom are of Indian origin.
The workers, who contacted this publication after management allegedly failed to address their grievances, claim they are subjected to verbal abuse by their supervisors and treated ‘as sub-humans’ at the 300MW project that commenced in 2023.
They cite poor accommodation, inadequate food, harsh working conditions and management’s indifference to their welfare as the reasons they decided to approach The Voice.
“When we were hired, we were promised proper accommodation, but to this day we live in tents,” said one concerned employee.
“To make matters worse, it’s two men per tent. How can two grown men share a tent? Where is the dignity in that?” he demanded.
“A few days after your inquiry, management promised to move us to portacabins, which are more comfortable than tents. That never materialised. The cabins remain vacant while we continue to share canvas tents in this burning heat and rainy season,” grumbled the employee.
The workers further allege they are made to work extremely long hours without receiving overtime, despite such compensation being stipulated in their employment terms.
“We live in fear of our employers, who don’t even want to share transport with us,” grieved another employee.
He added there is a stark ‘deeply troubling’ difference between the food provided to local workers and that served to the Indian contingent.
“We eat and live like pigs. Employees are fed leftover pap and cabbage, or dumplings and soup for lunch, while they get a three-course meal. We’re not asking for anything fancy just a standard meal that any Motswana would expect,” he said.
To get to the bottom of the accusations, The Voice contacted Green Apple management via questionnaire.
In a written response from Operations Director, Lucky Modise, the company neither confirmed nor denied the employees’ allegations, and did not address specific questions posed by this publication.
Green Apple Response
“Our priority at Green Apple Window Cleaning Services is to ensure a positive, supportive, professional, and compliant work environment at Mmamabula and all other sites. We take all employee feedback extremely seriously.
We have senior managers and supervisors at the camp who hold regular meetings and engage directly with employees to understand their concerns and resolve operational issues in a timely manner.
As part of our standard practice, we review accommodation, meals, and general welfare provisions to ensure they align with our internal policies and the expectations of our clients. We also have a written human-resources policy that outlines a safe and transparent process for staff, including pay and working hours, in line with our fair-wage policy.
When issues are brought to our attention, our management team investigates thoroughly, takes corrective action where necessary, and implements improvements as part of our ongoing commitment to employee welfare and service standards.”
