Modern day slavery in the Bay

MODERN day slavery is alive and well in Richards Bay.

In the past few months I’ve heard horror stories of people who are so desperate for work and then being taken for a ride by corrupt companies.

It seems these companies get a contract with well established companies in Richards Bay and then make use of cheap labour.

They also give workers false hope. Once the project is completed, the workers lose their jobs and don’t get paid.

In four incidences during the past month I’ve heard stories from general workers who are sitting in the CBD waiting for jobs.

They were picked up and taken to a site where they had to paint tanks.

They worked for a week and were told to come back the following Friday to collect their wages on site.

When they got there the tanks had been removed and the site closed.

My best advice to these workers is to take down motor registration numbers and the company name to protect themselves.

A guy who matriculated in 2016 got a job and worked for two months and was promised a salary.

At the end of the two months he was told the deal was he needed experience and that he wasn’t going to get paid.

A family man who lives in the green belt in a tent, got a contract job. He worked for 11 days and the contract terminated once the job was done again without any payment.

A well known business in Richards Bay employed a guy and he was so excited about his job. He came from Gauteng and was desperate for work.

He stayed in a tent and with his first salary managed to get a small room.

Now he is battling to get his salary and while the CEOs of the company had a very nice Christmas and New Year, this guy walked to the ATM every day to see if his salary was in.

To date he still has not been paid, yet he goes to work every day.

He has to look his landlord in the eye knowing he owes him money.

I feel these companies should be named and shamed in public.