The labour dispute at eBundu Lodge does not appear to be settling down as some employees accused owners Sibusiso and Ntombizodwa Tshabalala of making their working environment unbearable.

More than 20 employees of eBundu Lodge are currently requesting to be considered for retrenchment packages. Employees accused the owners of replacing them with new staff members during lockdown.

These workers said they have been going to various institutions to seek help, but feel that voluntary retrenchment is the best solution. According to a statement of agreement by the CCMA on March 11, both parties – the 26 workers and eBundu Lodge as the respondent – had agreed the employees would go the lodge on March 19 to submit their names, stating they wanted to be considered for retrenchment.

When Lowvelder arrived at the scene, the staff said they were not happy with how the owners had been handling the situation. According to one of the employees who has been working for the company for more than 11 years, the new owners appear not to want to pay their retrenchment packages. “It is as if they want us to resign instead of retrenching us. They made promises to us, but now they are keeping us at home and we are hungry and have responsibilities.

They keep telling us that we are not educated. They told us they are well connected and will always win.” During a telephone interview with the owners of eBundu Lodge, the Tshabalalas and their two representatives denied the allegations made against them. Lee-Ann Collingridge of Conversations Media & Communications responded to some of the questions forwarded to the owners.

“The owners of eBundu Lodge have not summarily retrenched any employees, nor treated employees unfairly. When we were able to reopen, we recalled those staff needed to operate. We have also filled vacancies at executive and senior management level. No staff member’s job has been replaced by another.

All employees – unless so advised or who have chosen to leave – remain employed at present.” The employees remain adamant they were replaced but did not enter the premises as they felt the owners wanted to divide them. “We wanted to enter as a group, because we feared that if we go in small numbers, they would manipulate us. We then left without writing our names as per the agreement. Instead of talking to us, they called the police and accused us of protesting.”

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Collingridge said eBundu has CCTV footage showing they were indeed protesting. The newspaper requested to see the footage, but at the time of going to press the footage had not been received.

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Col Donald Mdluli, provincial police spokesperson, said, “According to the report we received from the member who attended to the scene at eBundu Lodge on March 19, the workers were not protesting. The member also said he spoke to them and advised them to approach the Department of Labour.”