Boss pins blame on unpaid workers
The clothing factory owner accused of not paying her workers says they are just being spiteful.
|||Cape Town - The clothing factory owner accused of not paying her workers ahead of the festive season has hit back, saying she feels “betrayed” by her employees.
Workers from Lansdowne-based Sharon Fashions on Monday claimed that Sharon Marais, 58, was living the high life while they had to suffer, unable to provide even bread for their families.
The dozen workers claimed Sharon has not paid them since they got a half week’s wages in November.
The South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) has also stepped in to investigate the allegations.
The workers cut and trim materials for Reliance Clothing in Observatory, who in turn make clothing for Truworths and Identity.
Responding to the claims that she has not paid her workers, Marais says she did everything by the book and had no money left to pay her staff because she had already split what she had between all of them.
She says she was left with no cash after paying them for the month of October despite none of the orders they were working on being completed.
“It was their inability to complete the simple style that brought about this problem,” Sharon tells the Daily Voice.
“I encouraged them to work as efficiently as they can, but they stay out two or three days a week, not caring that the work must go out.
“If we don’t make a deadline we don’t get paid.
“They are experienced machinists and it should have been an easy task, but they want to be spiteful.”
Sharon says she had to borrow money to pay the workers “half wages” in November.
Sharon says despite paying the women, they abandoned her, leaving her to complete the 541 garments herself, which took her five days.
“They walked out. I told them to complete the order,” she says.
“That entire amount, plus the 2 000 garments still lying in the factory, would have been the wages, bonus and holiday pay.
“I was kind to them and they took advantage.
“I let them get away with it, that is my fault, but the lies they are telling is a stab in my back.
“I want nothing more to do with them. My lawyer is now working to sort this out.”
Seamstress Edwina Barlow, 60, says she does not believe a word of Sharon’s explanation.
Edwina says: “This woman is a liar, she does not care for us and never did.
“She can say whatever she wants. I still have nothing and if she cared about that, she would have made a plan long ago.”
Daily Voice
* Use IOL’s Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.