Yet another complaint by employees against their local employer has surfaced. This time, a local business in the Laudium CBD stands accused of not paying their workers the full monthly salary due to them.
The disgruntled workers thus sought help from outside sources, after apparently trying on their own to settle the problem with their employer.
This resulted in Betfred, a betting and gambling business, trading in the heart of the Laudium CBD being temporarily shut down for about two hours after their staff called members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), to help sort out their plight. A large crowd of onlookers watched as EFF members closed the doors of Betfred, this past Wednesday (June 4) at around 9am, despite the Laudium Police being present at the scene.
Mmasechaba Enert, serving as the EFF Sub Region Interim Inspector, told the Laudium Sun, “We received several complaints about the betting outlet, Betfred, in the Laudium CBD. Without wasting any time, we entered the premises and temporarily shut it down. We have been informed that the management at Betfred was mistreating South African employees by failing to pay them their full salaries, without any warning or explanation. This is nothing short of exploitation and we will not allow our fellow South Africans to suffer under such conditions. These workers have families to support and if they are not paid properly, how are they expected to survive? We will keep the establishment closed until the employees receive their full salaries. We don’t care who’s in charge — this is South Africa and no one has the right to exploit workers. Justice must be served. We stand united in demanding fairness and dignity for the employees who work tirelessly at Betfred. The management must pay the salaries in full and treat the workers with respect and value. These employees are not thieves — they are hardworking individuals who deserve what they’ve earned. If the management tries to act smart or avoid responsibility, they will face serious consequences. We are prepared to shut the place down permanently if necessary.”
Susan Baloei, an employee at Betfred, told the Laudium Sun, “We really tried to resolve the matter on our own, but it seems like the Betfred management doesn’t understand us — that’s why we called the EFF to step in and help. The management suddenly decided not to pay our full salaries and this has been happening for the past two months. We are tired and frustrated. Betfred cut almost R2,000 from each employee’s salary without any explanation. How can they do this to us? It feels like they’re robbing us. We work hard, and we deserve to be paid our full salaries. I really hope that they pay what they owe us and I hope this matter is resolved soon.”
Thabelo Ndou, the manager of Betfred, told the Laudium Sun, “I don’t have any comments regarding the EFF’s attempt to shut us down. We have engaged in negotiations between the workers and management.”
*After the parties apparently reached an agreement, the doors of the business were re opened.