#Letter: Workers deserve better treatment

Ballito resident Georgina Mitova-Sealby writes:

In a town known for its growth and development, one man’s story reveals the human cost behind progress.

Growth, which through employment, should improve the living standards of the local community. And employers – companies big and small – should have an obligation to follow the law and apply good employment ethics. But do they?

This is a story of a local worker, an honest, skilled, hardworking man who maintained his smile despite a life of hardship. In the 30 odd years we have known him, he has suffered many things, from crime to loss of loved ones but he always returned to his work with dedication.

After years of working as a gardener and maintenance man for different residents, three and a half years ago he secured his first permanent job at a Ballito estate. It came with benefits: A contract, pension, medical insurance and even a December bonus. His work ethic quickly gained recognition, not just from management but from homeowners who also hired him privately.

But this all ended when the estate outsourced its gardening and maintenance services to a Johannesburg-based company. All staff were lawfully retrenched. Yet, the worker was “lucky” enough to be taken on by the company, verbally. No written contract. No payslip. Just longer hours, reduced pay (at least 10% less) and a ban on private afterhours work.

Despite his efforts to request formal employment terms, the company delayed, promising a contract that never came. He continued working diligently, even training new staff and enduring demeaning orders from younger, less experienced superiors. His smile began to fade. By last November, after multiple follow-ups, he was told a contract would come, but it never did. What did come was verbal abuse, humiliating instructions and trumped up written warnings.

Eventually, he was made to sign a document – not a contract, but a formal warning. That was the final blow. He resigned. A man once known for his joy and work ethic left broken, turning to alcohol for the first time in his life.

Now, our community is trying to help him reclaim his smile. But the bigger questions remain: How many others have been treated like this? How many people have been treated in this way in the name of maximising profit?

Ballito residents must ask: Are we turning a blind eye? Do we not have a responsibility to demand better and to support those who work with pride and integrity?

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