More than 28 employees of White Hazy Building Construction are accusing it of unfair labour practices.

They say their employer has placed them between a rock and a hard place. According to the employees, their challenges began when they had asked their employer for an increment, and from there on things changed.

Silence Sono, one of the employees, said, “We have not received our salaries for four months, we have tried to negotiate and to reach an agreement, however, nothing works. We previously raised our concerns with our employer regarding our salaries, as they had not increased ours for more than two years.

“They then promised us that we will get an increase, but things changed. They stopped paying us and employed people to do our duties. I am not allowed to enter the site to collect my machines that I could use to do odd jobs and the employers are no longer giving me any work to do.”
He added that their families are suffering due to this treatment. Sono has a wife and four kids who depend on his salary.
“Our challenges are that we have families who rely on us. We are the breadwinners and our kids are suffering. Some of us are not from Mbombela, we are from the rural areas outside Matsafeni and town. We then have to rent accommodation nearby our workplace.

“Without our salaries we are unable to pay rent and the worse part is going home is not a solution because we need the job. We do not know how we will make it through the festive season if our employer does not pay us. It is sad to be without a job and a salary, the hardest part is looking at our kids and knowing that we might not have money for 2022 school fees.
“Due to our situation and background, Christmas is the only time we manage to buy our kids new clothes,” he explained.
These employees say they have approached the CCMA for assistance, but allege that the construction company did not attend that meeting.

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Yarona Kopano Workers Union of South Africa has been assisting them with their work issues.
When Mpumalanga News contacted Isaac Khumalo of White Hazy, he said, “We are aware of the matter and there is a case at the CCMA. We are unable to comment further because it is sub-judice.”

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By the time of going to press, the employees were still waiting for their salaries.