Relief as former Nahoon Arms staff paid their wages

MIKE OSNER and his former co-owners of Nahoon Arms have apparently paid 30 out-of-work staff members’ outstanding wages.

However, one senior staff member, bulk buyer Debbie Stander, said she had not been paid “one cent” of the R18 000 she feels owed. “They deny that I ever worked for them.”

Two weeks ago Stander called the Dispatch sobbing, saying she was a single mom, was ill and at a loss as to what to do. She said the Osners claimed she never worked for the business, while former partner Allen Gunn kept saying he was trying to make a payment.

Stander said she had tried to move on and was working as a sales rep.

The once-popular English pub in a prime spot in Beach Road, Nahoon, East London, closed its doors amid acrimony on February 24 with staff accusing owners Mike and Chrisanne Osner and Linda and Allen Gunn of mismanaging the business and squandering profits.

Gunn accused Osner of draining the business of cash, and Osner accused Gunn of being in charge and responsible for the business when it tanked at Christmas.

On Friday, landlord Russell Seymour said he had forced the closure by means of a landlord’s hypothec, which allows a landlord to sell a tenant’s possessions to pay for outstanding rent and other debts.

He said the three lawyers representing himself, the Osners and the Gunns had agreed to hold the sale and put the money into a lawyer’s trust account which would then pay staff and creditors.

On Friday, Seymour said: “Just for the record, about R155 000 was paid today to staff of Nahoon Arms for amounts the owners consider are due to them. I was paid all amounts owed to me as well.”

Yesterday Nate McArthur, a finalyear law student who paid most of his fees last year through wages and tips earned at the Nahoon Arms, said: “I got paid on R4 235 on Saturday, and a friend got his R6 500, so I am pretty happy about my cash.”

Linda Gunn said yesterday: “It is heartbreaking Debbie [Stander] has not been paid. She definitely worked for us and is owed her money.”

Gunn said the four partners had settled through lawyers.

Mike Osner would take ownership of Abbotsford Arms, his wife Chrisanne would own Pedro’s pizzas next door, Allen Gunn the Bombay Express diner in Stirling, and she would keep Urban Junction.

The Osners’ attorney, Russell Linde, confirmed the agreement. —