Stone quarry workers demand health insurance

NYARUGURU/HUYE – Stone quarry workers in Ngera sector in Nyaruguru district have complained over the lack of medical health insurances despite the risky nature of their job. Some of the workers who talked to The New Times said that they earn too little to afford medical care. “I earn Rwf1000 on a good day, this money is way too little to cover medical insurance and other daily living expenses,” said one worker who gave his name only as Rugira. “Our lives are in danger, but what do you do when you have nothing else to do to survive?” However, quarry owners in Ngera under the Patriote TURWUBAKE Cooperative say that the process of getting health insurance for their workers is underway. One official who talked to The New Times disclosed that all their workers will be insured by next month. “We have already started the process of insuring all our workers, we hope to have fully completed the process by March this year,” said Jean Ntaganda, a representative of the cooperative. In a related development, stone quarry workers in Mukura sector, Huye district have been urged to form a cooperative that will help in improving their living standards. According to Mukura sector Executive Secretary, Alexis Munyamfura, forming a cooperative will help sector authorities to follow up their activities. “Stone quarry workers need help but for them to be helped they need to come together and speak as one voice. It is through cooperatives that they can easily mobiles resources to improve their welfare and also pay for health insurance given the risky nature of their work,” the official said. Ends