Pest Control Company really need to get their act together

[cyberjet2004]

I work for a very well known Pest Control Company and they are ever so bragging that
they are on their way to be the number one Pest control institution in South Africa.


Our pest control operators on the other hand all want to leave the company cause you just feel that they dont take us in consideration at all?

Maybe i just like to moan or am ungreatful but certain things just bug me. Am i over reacting?

We work with poisen everyday and they dont give any medical, or supply us with medical kits incase we had an accident. No fire extinguisher in our vans. No spillage kits. all the vans look like crap and it takes ages before they fix a thing.
Ive been working for more than a year and they didnt take me for a medical check up.

Guys working there for 10 years havent gone for a check up ever. Also they dont try to send their staff on courses because then they will have to increase their salaries ofcourse.

Also how can you pay the operator that worked 10 years for the company R500-R800 more than a guy who just started and has 1-2years experience

And they are so busy checking on the trackers where we are and how late we go home instead of actually doing their admin work that is up to crap. No comunication and very slow in everything.

How can they boast that they are almost the best in the industry if all our operators are unhappy and leave the company one by one getting the same position? making twice as much. And the clients complain about slow service delivery?

I dont know. maybe its just me

[AndyD]

Are you unionised? Have you expressed your grievances to the management? Is the company failing to do anything that is required of them by law?

[Dave A]

Is the company failing to do anything that is required of them by law?

Reading between the lines, probably. The lack of medicals, formal training and the small salary gap between new staff and experienced "operators" are all clear signs of contraventions of the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act (Act 36 of 1947) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993) at the very least.

In terms of Act 36 of 1947, essentially any application of a pesticide "for gain" must be under on-site supervision of a registered pest control operator. To become a registered pest control operator you have to undergo the required training and medicals go hand in hand with registration as well as renewal of registration.

When it comes to unregistered staff (folk that have to work under direct on-site supervision), although Act 36 of 1947 doesn't have requirements for regular medical checks, there are sections of Act 85 of 1993 that have jurisdiction.

As for the rest - well they're issues that could arise in any business or industry I guess. Not really pest control specific. But given that I'm in this sector and the OP connects the issues with a company in the industry, I think I'll stick to "no comment" on all the other stuff this time around.