SIXTEEN Pick n Pay cashiers in Vryheid have taken the chain store to the CCMA to challenge their "unfair dismissal".

Speaking to Sowetan yesterday one of the employees, Zinhle Mthembu, said they were fired for allegedly being short of more than R90000.

She said her till was allegedly short of R6000 and others of more than R15000.

"According to the manager we were at our tills from January 14 to January 30.

"But what concerned us most was that we were only notified of the problem on February 22," Mthembu said.

She said when they asked the manager to check through the CCTV cameras as to who could have stolen the money, they were told that the cameras were not working at the time of the incident.

Mthembu said the store did not even pay them for February.

The workers were dismissed last week.

South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) acting provincial secretary Mathews Mthembu said they intervened after being approached by the workers.

"We wrote a letter asking for a meeting with management and we are still waiting for their response," Mthembu said. "In the meantime we have taken the matter to the CCMA."

Store manager Herman Jordan said: "I can't comment. The matter is now sub judice since the workers have gone to the CCMA."

Jordan made headlines a few years ago when he forced one of the female employees to cut off her traditional goat skin wristlet (isiphandla).