Afrisam workers hardest hit by cement shortage
As the whole country is engulfed by the shortage of cement, Afrisam employees seem to have been the hardest hit by this predicament.
This is because their end of year performance bonuses are awarded according to the amount of cement they have sold, but indicators show that this year they did not do well hence the growing fears that their bonuses might be slashed down.
The shortfall of cement in the country mainly caused by a high demand of cement in neighbouring South Africa has seriously affected these employees as they might not get the expected bonuses.
Commenting on condition of anonymity, an Afrisam employee explained that even in previous years, their bonuses were determined by the sales of cement they made on that particular time.
The employee said the company began to experience serious cement shortfall problems at the beginning of the year, because even the raw material used in the production became scarce to find.
He said the raw material was usually imported from South Africa and was transported to the country through a train. Adding, he said off late, the train would be ‘hijacked’ along the way as the demand for cement grew even higher.
“As we all know that South Africa will be hosting the prestigious 2010 Soccer World Cup, a number of structures are being constructed in preparations for this event. This has seriously affected the local industry. But we have hopes though that by next year, everything will be back to order. It is a pity on us employees because we might not get that much bonuses at the end of the year,” he said.
The demand for cement in South Africa and its neighbouring countries increased by 13 per cent in the first six months of 2007, the Cement and Concrete Institute said Sapa reported that the institute’s Marketing Manager John Sheath said this was in line with expectations of a 13 per cent to 15 per cent hike.
Published under Cement News
