TheBrief

‘NO PAY FOR FOUR MONTHS’

A NUMBER of people who claimed to be workers of Gloria coal mine near Middelburg in Mpumalanga said on Friday that they were struggling to make ends meet, because they had not been paid their salaries for four months. Tumelo Pule, who said he was a truck driver for the Gloria coal mine, told the African News Agency that he could no longer buy food for his family. He was among a group of about 20 men and women who got free meals and drinks on the premises of Gloria coal mine on Thursday. They said the meals were donated to them by an unnamed organisation. “I cannot even get another job elsewhere while I’m still employed here,” said Pule. “I come here every day with the hope of getting paid. My children are starving.” Mbali Moloto, who also said she was a worker, said she had had a bad Christmas, because she could not buy groceries for her family. “I want my money because I worked for it,” she said. Gloria coal mine, which is owned by the Gupta family, was placed under business rescue a year ago and its workers were put on special leave in December last year, said business rescue representative Mike Elliot. Elliot confirmed on Friday that the workers had not been paid for four months. | African News Agency (ANA)