108 JAAP BROEKEMA
Health problems
A majority of the labourers – 68 percent for the MCH workers, 70 percent for the
contract labourers – believes their work is causing them health problems. The most
frequently mentioned health problems are: fever, muscle/back pain and headache.
Many respondents came up with more than one type of health complaint.
If the MCH labourers get sick they stay at home and make use of their leave days. On
average they have stayed 7.2 days at home due to sickness over a one-year period.
Their colleagues in the private sector actually do not have a leave facility. As a result
the average number of days of absence was only 3.4 (extrapolated on the basis of a
half year period). Moreover, about half of the private labourers claimed that they had
continued working while sick (for the MCH labourers this figure was only 4 percent).
5.6. ASSESSMENT OF THE PRIVATISATION OF SOLID WASTE COLLECTION
In this section the views of contractors and labourers on the strengths and weaknesses
of the current privatisation policy are presented. The emphasis will be on the percep-
tions of the former as they have been the MCH’s contract partners
Opinion on the tender procedure
Despite the short duration of the tender procedure – between the publishing of the
tender-notice and the actual start of the work a couple of weeks later – only 3 contrac-
tors (12 percent) considered this problematic. An overwhelming majority was
satisfied about the transparency of the procedure, the method of announcing the work,
and the information that was provided by the MCH on the tasks and requirements.
Only one contractor considered the EMD to be too high and a barrier to entry. The
other said that the EMD had never prevented them from applying for a contract. Of
course, many potential contractors may have backed out due to the amount, but this
cannot be substantiated.
Opinion about punctuality and regularity of payment
At the end of the day it is common to see many contractors coming and leaving the
compound of the central MCH building. The main reason behind this ritual is to speed
up the processing of their bills. Although the bills have to be submitted at the Circle
Office, they pass through a number of steps and eventually arrive at the main MCH
office. Nevertheless, only a minority of the contractors complained about the punctu-
ality and regularity of payment by the MCH. Usually the contractors submit their bills
on the 2nd of each month and are paid between the 10th and 15th. Occasionally, delays
in payment create problems with regard to the payment of the labourers.