UPDATE: ANN7 employees still not paid but offered transport, food and letters of rent

ANN7 employees are still unhappy that the company is not addressing their grievances regarding the nonpayment of salaries for the month of February 2018.

With the exception of November and December 2017, the employees said they have always received their salaries on the 26th of each month. They are aggrieved that they can now only watch hopelessly as debit orders bounce, rent is not paid and, in most instances, they find themselves unable to provide food for families and children.

The Citizen spoke to an assistant to Gary Naidoo, a senior general manager at the company who is yet to respond to questions fielded to him, on whether the employees will receive their February salaries at all.

It has now emerged that Naidoo, according to staff members, called a meeting at which he briefed frustrated employees about the current state of affairs at the company.

“The company apologised for the delay in paying salaries; the payroll cycle fell on the weekend, and therefore there was a delay. There was an acknowledgment of acting after the fact from the company side, which will be looked into to avoid this in future. The company’s finances are fine; the problem is not having a direct payment system from our bank,” a communique to staff members said.

READ MORE: ANN7 employees yet to receive February salaries

“Those who communicated in time that they would not make it to the office [today]; it will be treated as a normal working day. But those who never communicated will have to take that as a day off.

“If you have had problems with the debit orders, make a printout, send it to Sandeep [Dubey, GM: IT & Operations at ANN7] and see if the company can help [no promises there],” the message continued.

“Also the company will write a letter to your landlord if there is a threat of being thrown out of your apartment. If those who want to come to work are unable to, then transport can be provided, and lunch will be made available as well. Assurances were made by Gary [Naidoo] that salaries will be paid on time next month,” it concluded.

A few staff members who anonymously spoke to The Citizen were ticked off by how the company was treating them like “charity cases” and said some of those who were unable to make it to work today were offered to be picked up from their homes by management.

One asked whether the company understood it was not them alone who were suffering, but those they supported: “You offer me lunch in the office, what about my kids? Do I eat there and it’s the end of the story? What we really need is our salaries to be paid into our bank accounts.”