9 May 2013
All that Glitters is not Gold
By an employee of the Tsogo Sun (Garden Court-Marine Parade)
Our sweat and all our hope that Labour Brokers will one day be banned from this democracy has vanished. We have all supported COSATU and millions of South Africans who have made this call to put an end to the Labour Brokers so as to save our exploited brother and sisters. People working under Labour Brokers are suffering incredible exploitation. We have no sense of security in the world. We are disrespected and humiliated every day.
We are employed by Progress CC in the Tsogo Sun formerly known as the Garden Court Holiday-Inn in Marine Parade on Durban’s beach front. Many of us have worked for more than seven, eight, nine and ten years without being registered with the Department of Labour or any Bargaining Council. There are more than fifty employees but only less than five are employed permanently. Here there is a constant employment as constant firing is an order of the day. We earn R6 per room and are not paid per hour. There is no starting time and therefore no finishing time. We have to work overtime all the time but we are never paid for this time. There is no tea break or lunch hour. It is therefore taken as a crime to eat any time when you are hungry. We are not allowed to eat company food as this constitutes a dismissible crime.