Complaints from local workers about being treated unfairly by their employers continue to pour in.
Clearly there has been a marked increase in local workers knocking on the doors of the Laudium Sun out of desperation, seeking assistance. Many of these workers just want the salary due to them and want to carry on with their lives and as a last resort have turned to the Laudium Sun for assistance. The most common of complaints has been from security guards working in the area, who mostly complained about a poor working environment and non-payment of salaries. In one of the latest complaints from a security guard, a security company that is active in the Laudium/Erasmia area, ‘Pro-Active Security’ has been accused of paying some of its staff late and of making inconsistent payments, leaving many struggling to make ends meet.
One of the affected employees, Khutso Madiseng (39) of Itireleng, near Laudium alleged that he has been complaining about non-payment of his salary to his supervisors for a few months now, but without any success. About three weeks back, Khutso complained to the Laudium Sun that he was still waiting for his salary for November and that payments from the company have been a problem for months. Khutso, who has been working for Pro-Active Security for over 3 years, alleged that the trouble started when the company’s owner, Iqraam Patel, changed the payment date from the 25th to the 28th of every month. Since then payments have been delayed, and workers often receive less money than they are supposed to. Khutso added, “When I joined the company three years back, we were always paid on time. But, about a few months back, after the date of payment was changed, things started going wrong.
Sometimes the money was paid late and sometimes we were not even paid the full amount, and in December I haven’t been paid at all for November, so I was forced to then leave the company as I waited and waited for my money but they never paid me.” said Khutso, adding, “Thereafter my financial struggles got so bad that I was forced to borrow money from loan sharks to survive. But when I couldn’t pay them back on time, the loan sharks took my TV and stove as payment. They came to my house and took my belongings. I don’t have a TV or a stove anymore, and I can’t even pay my rent. My girlfriend Sharon Mohlala (30) and I are really struggling. We don’t know what to do,” he lamented. Khutso was not the only one complaining about the company’s payment problems. Another security guard who did not want to be named told the Laudium Sun, “Many of us security guards are not happy the way we are treated by our boss. Many times we have not received our full month’s salary, but we are desperate for a job to provide for our families, so we are forced to work for the company as jobs are scarce.” When Khutso approached the Laudium Sun about three weeks back, the reporters at that time called Iqraam to get a response about the allegations against his security company. Iqraam then claimed he was in hospital and could not talk much. However, he promised to sort the outstanding salary of Khutso, adding, “I know there are problems with payments, and I will sort it out as soon as I can,” Iqraam said briefly, before ending the call. A few days later when Khutso again complained to the Laudium Sun, that he had still not received his November salary, the Laudium Sun spoke to a female who gave her name as Mary and who said that she was the company’s administrator. Mary stated that as their office was closed during the festive season and had only opened on Monday, January 13. Khutso should just be a bit patient as her boss was busy with the payments. However, thereafter Khutso again called at the Laudium Sun offices complaining that he had still not been paid, adding, “As workers, we are tired of being left in the dark about our outstanding salaries and want the company to take responsibility. We work hard, but we are being treated badly. We protect other people’s businesses and properties, but no one is protecting us. We have families to take care of, and now we are stuck in debt because of these late payments,” he concluded. When the Laudium Sun visited the offices of ProActive Security at the corner of Marble Str and 15th Ave this past Wednesday (Feb 12) we were told by the receptionist that Iqraam was not available and that there was no one else to give a comment on the matter.
*During the December period, workers also complained to the Laudium Sun, alleging that they were not paid on time.