On May 24, 2022, the General Directorate of PHC introduced for the very first time a transport allowance for plantation workers, thus facilitating their travel to their place of work.
All companies in the DRC are legally required to provide transport allowances to their employees, with the exception of employees who live in the company's area of activity. In accordance with the law, the PHC already provides a monthly transport allowance to employees who are not based on the plantations. As part of the company's new vision, namely shared prosperity through agribusiness, PHC is now extending the provision of travel allowances beyond what is required; the transport of plantation workers is also now taken care of by the company.
New PHC management has made the well-being of its employees a top priority, implementing large-scale improvements such as providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to every worker and launching a program of housing renovation that will allow each worker and his family to have a safe and secure home. The addition of transport allowances, which are incorporated directly into the salaries of plantation workers, is now another valuable contribution to employee well-being; workers such as security guards and drivers at PHC concessions have seen their wages increase significantly as a result of the new allowances.
Today, six months after the addition of transport allowances, PHC plantation workers are feeling the positive impact of this change on their daily lives and appreciate this addition to their pay.
“It's huge, we've never seen this before,” says Ms. Alema Apoko, a nursery supervisor in Yaligimba. “The transport allowance motivates me more to engage in my work,” she admits.
However, the impact of travel allowances goes far beyond employee motivation and engagement. Asked about the impact of the new allowances over the past few months, Mr. Denis Lindonge expressed that
“It is the well-being of my family that is taken into account by society. »
PHCs provide many important benefits to workers on their plantations. These include free housing, free medical care at PHC hospitals for employees and their families, and the allocation of salaries from the 13th month to the end of the year.
Reflecting on transport allowances, Mr. Guicha Baka, a tractor driver in Lokutu, said:
“Added to my salary, the allowances contribute enormously to my family's monthly expenses. I can only be grateful, and I hope that this initiative will continue. Thanks to the general management of PHC. »
Watch the video below to hear more reactions from PHC employees about the positive impact transportation allowances have had on their lives.