Exploring Casual Construction Workers' Job Security Difficulties in The Central Region of South Africa

Abstract

PURPOSE The lack of job opportunities in the industrial sectors has increased the unemployment rate in most developing countries. This situation is evident in South African construction where people struggle to find and keep decent permanent jobs. The situation has encouraged the proliferation of the casualisation of employment in the industry. METHODOLOGY This article illustrates the challenges experienced by casual workers in the central region of South Africa. Mixed-methods data were used to understand the phenomenon in the construction industry context. The quantitative strand of the study involved 19 participants familiar with labour-intensive construction while the qualitative strand involved 24 interviewees and have lived expereinces of the casual labour phenomenon. FINDINGS The results show that the lack of economic growth, inadequate education, poverty, inequality, and systematic corruption contribute to the casualization and low job security among construction workers. The persistence of casualization marginalised the psychosocial wellbeing of workers, apart from the negative image of the industry through poor cost, health and safety, time and quality performance. VALUE FOR AUTHORS The article focuses on the need to pay close attention to the wellbeing of people in the front line of construction.