Employees working for a Spar franchisee who flouted labour laws have laid bare their alleged exploitation, intimidation and working long hours.

Several current and former staff members at 10 stores owned by Chris Giannakopoulos - who was ordered to pay nearly R12m to his workers - described their working conditions as "horrible".

They told of being paid the lowest wages, being paid cash in envelopes, working six days a week without leave and illegal deductions.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA) ordered Giannakopoulos to pay workers R11,935,478 over a week ago for failing to comply with labour laws.

The CCMA gave eight arbitration awards against eight of Giannakopoulos's stores after a series of transgressions related to the basic conditions of employment. He was given 14 days to pay the workers.

An employee who has been working at one of the stores as a manager said he was paid R750 a week with no contract and working six days a week. The manager said after they filed complaints with the CCMA and labour department the pay increased to about R1,200 a week but the long working hours remained.

The employee who didn't want to be named for fear of victimisation said they worked from 5am until 8pm daily.

"I have been employed for over 5 years working as an underpaid worker but I stayed because I needed that money. I moved from one of the stores as a cashier then floor controller after being promoted to be a manager but I still got paid weekly in an envelope."

The employee said no one was paid for working overtime. "I feel like the beginning of change has finally come and all the other employees in the other stores can enjoy the fruits of lawful labour practices."

Another employee, Mpho Moila from Silverton Spar, said staff members who had been exploited for years were relieved the CCMA has found in their favour and they would be paid what is due to them.

"We got victimised for interacting with labour representatives in the stores and we were made to sign non-disclosures by managers. Our jobs were threatened and some were fired senselessly," she said.

Moila said they filed complaints with the CCMA last year and the process took a long time, leaving some employees hopeless and desperate to find other jobs.

Jacob Vurayai, 31, a former truck driver who was allegedly assaulted by Giannakopoulos last year said he was happy about the arbitration award to workers although it came a little too late for him.

Vurayai said he had to leave after he was beaten with a wooden pallet. He said he was also overworked for three years. "I got paid peanuts and he [Giannakopoulos] would accuse us of stealing whenever he wanted to illegally make deductions on our wages."

Giannakopoulos's lawyer Mary Erlank said the awards issued by the CCMA "are defective" and a review application will be lodged with the labour court to set them aside.

The labour department said failure to comply with the awards will result in Giannakopoulos having to pay accrued interest in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

The department said inspectors conducted inspections in May last year at the franchisee's stores in Gauteng and North West. It received a series of complaints of alleged gross violations of labour laws.

Last year, Sowetan reported on several allegations of assault and abuse levelled by staff against Giannakopoulos after cases were opened with police.

According to the department of labour, 10 stores - nine in Gauteng and one in the North West - were found to be violating labour laws. It found among others that the employer did not issue employees with contracts, did not pay workers for working on public holidays and failed to grant them leave. The outlets employ 565 workers.

Giannakopoulos, who was also found to have hired illegal foreigners, refused to comment when contacted yesterday, saying "speak to someone else," before hanging up.