About 400 Vusa Isizwe security company employees have not been paid their last month's salaries because a parastatal has failed to honour its obligations to pay the contractor on time.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has left the security guards starving and in debts as they are still awaiting their payments.
Vusa Isizwe operations director Themba Maseko confirmed that Prasa has not paid them and owing the company in a tune of R2-million.
About 100 of the unpaid workers staged a protest outside the company offices in Benoni, East Rand, demanding their money. They said they were averagely paid R3 400 a month.
The workers decided to down tools following a meeting with the employer on Tuesday, in which they were promised that the money would be deposited into their accounts by noon on Wednesday, but that did not happen.
The guards, who operate in Soweto and Vereeniging, perform duties that include patrolling train stations and trains. They said non-payment has left them owing rent to their landlords, children turned away from creche and running out of food.
Annan Litsoane said: "My child has run out of baby formula, nappies and food. I don't know where am I going to get the money to buy them."
Prasa spokeswoman Lillian Mofokeng confirmed that the contractor has not been paid, but said the parastatal was addressing the matter.
She said a team had been sent to assess the effects of the strike.
Prasa starves security guards
About 400 Vusa Isizwe security company employees have not been paid their last month's salaries because a parastatal has failed to honour its obligations to pay the contractor on time.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has left the security guards starving and in debts as they are still awaiting their payments.
Vusa Isizwe operations director Themba Maseko confirmed that Prasa has not paid them and owing the company in a tune of R2-million.
About 100 of the unpaid workers staged a protest outside the company offices in Benoni, East Rand, demanding their money. They said they were averagely paid R3 400 a month.
The workers decided to down tools following a meeting with the employer on Tuesday, in which they were promised that the money would be deposited into their accounts by noon on Wednesday, but that did not happen.
The guards, who operate in Soweto and Vereeniging, perform duties that include patrolling train stations and trains. They said non-payment has left them owing rent to their landlords, children turned away from creche and running out of food.
Annan Litsoane said: "My child has run out of baby formula, nappies and food. I don't know where am I going to get the money to buy them."
Prasa spokeswoman Lillian Mofokeng confirmed that the contractor has not been paid, but said the parastatal was addressing the matter.
She said a team had been sent to assess the effects of the strike.
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