Latest news with #unpaidwages
Free Malaysia Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
74 Bangladeshi workers win RM1.5mil in claims over unpaid wages
A file pic showing a workers' dormitory. The 74 workers claimed they were left stranded in Malaysia with no work or wages and had to endure poor living conditions. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : A group of Bangladeshi workers has won more than RM1.5 million in claims from their former employer due to unpaid wages and other breaches of their employment contracts. The Kuala Lumpur labour office had ordered Meranti Binamas Sdn Bhd to pay RM1.54 million to the 74 workers, who had lodged complaints through migrant rights group Tenaganita. In a statement, Tenaganita official Abdul Aziz Ismail said this was a 'significant payout' and a major win for migrant rights which showed that employers could be held accountable for breaching the rights of foreign workers. 'It has been a long road but we finally have a decision and an order from the labour office. By ordering Meranti Binamas to pay the amounts due, the labour department has sent a clear message that employers cannot exploit workers with impunity. 'This is a significant achievement for the workers and for Tenaganita. It sets yet another precedent that even large, seemingly untouchable companies can be held accountable when workers stand united and demand justice,' he said. Aziz urged the government to ensure the RM1.5 million is paid out in full quickly. It was reported that the workers paid up to RM25,000 each to secure jobs but were left stranded in Malaysia with no work or wages and enduring poor living conditions after arriving here. The workers had stayed in a crowded hostel in Pudu, KL, and went months without pay, with some said to have had suicidal thoughts. The labour department's order is separate from a case now before the Shah Alam High Court. In that suit, 33 workers are seeking RM1.71 million in damages, including the RM25,000 they each paid in fees to get to Malaysia and 18 months of wages they say they never received. They also want the court to declare them victims of job fraud and to bar the immigration department from detaining or deporting them until the case is disposed of. The suit names Meranti Binamas, the human resources ministry secretary-general, the immigration director-general, and the government as defendants. It was filed in March and is ongoing.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Abu Dhabi: Employee who never joined work awarded Dh110,400 in unpaid wages
A company has been ordered to pay a man Dh110,400 in unpaid wages for four months and 18 days by an Abu Dhabi Labour Court (First Instance). The employee was hired but never allowed to begin work. The claimant had filed a lawsuit against the company, demanding payment of his delayed salary from November 11, 2024, to April 7, 2025. He claimed that he had signed a fixed-term contract with a basic salary of Dh7,200 and a total monthly package of Dh24,000. However, the company continuously delayed his start date, leaving him waiting without pay. A representative for the company appeared in court, submitted a legal response and documents, and requested the case be transferred to a relevant division for judgment. The court stated that 'it was clear from the wage report, the employment contract, and the supporting documents submitted through the case management system that the delay in starting work was due to the employer," according to local newspaper Emarat Al Youm. The court emphasised that under Federal Decree-Law No. (33) of 2021 regulating labour relations, employers are obligated to pay wages on time according to the systems approved by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Citing Article 912 of the Civil Transactions Law, the court ruled that wages are a worker's right and cannot be withheld without proof such as a written waiver or legal acknowledgment. The employer had argued the employee wasn't entitled to his salary because he 'did not report to duty and went on leave.' But the court found no evidence of a formal investigation into any absence, determining that the delay in employment was the company's fault. The employee admitted taking eight days off, which were deducted from the total, resulting in a payment for four months and 18 days.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Is it time to hear from Owls chairman?'
Another week has passed and there's still no resolution to the situation involving unpaid wages at Sheffield Wednesday. Player and staff salaries were due in full on 30 May. The players are subtly making their thoughts known. On Tuesday, Marvin Johnson posted a GIF of Mr Bean looking at his watch, days after Di'Shon Bernard used a famous Jose Mourinho meme to make a point on social media. There are probably many people at Hillsborough, especially non-footballing staff, who would love to say what's on their mind but can' worst thing about all of this is the total lack of clarity. The unknown. Not having your full wages paid on time is bad enough. Having no idea if or when you'll receive them can be devastating. Mortgages, rent, food bills. This goes beyond anything you typically cover in football. This is a far more serious club released a 59-word statement on 3 June, including an apology by chairman Dejphon Chansiri. There's been no public comment what's going on? Is there any money left to keep this club going? When will people be paid? What happens when June wages are due or the latest tax bill? Does the club face any further sanctions on top of a three transfer window fee-paying ban?Is the chairman actively trying to sell the club? What is he actually doing at the moment? Is administration a possibility?Even if a financial solution is forthcoming — and let's be right, at the moment there's very little to indicate that's the case other than a potential sale of youngster Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri to Manchester City to act as a temporary stop-gap solution — what has this whole episode done for morale both within the club and on the playing side of things? How badly has this impacted the reputation of Sheffield Wednesday within the game?We have requested to speak with Chansiri but he hasn't done a broadcast interview with the BBC since 4 November 2020. With so many questions unanswered (way more than discussed in this short piece) is it time for that to change? Do the players, staff and supporters need to hear from the man running this club?
News24
05-06-2025
- Business
- News24
Ex-mine workers and families accuse Mantashe, NUM of betrayal, demand ‘R40m, with interest'
Ex-mine workers and families claim they were promised unpaid wages and severance packages after ERPM's 1999 liquidation but have received nothing. Union leaders, including Gwede Mantashe, pledged to invest the money for 10 years. Victims say they are owed millions and they want it paid with interest. More than two decades after the collapse of the East Rand Proprietary Mines (ERPM), former mine workers and their families are still demanding answers and their money. When the ERPM was liquidated in 1999, at least 4 000 workers were affected. Many had worked deep underground for years, often in unsafe conditions. In the aftermath of the mine's closure, workers say they were told that the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), then under the leadership of its general secretary Gwede Mantashe, had received their settlement packages and would invest the money on their behalf. The mine was shut down after years of low productivity and financial strain. In 1998, it went into provisional liquidation and closed permanently the following year. Since then, former workers and their families have been left in limbo. This year, a group of ex-workers started organising under the Land and Minerals Movement, led by Zakhele Zuma. They held meetings, tracked down the paperwork and began pushing for accountability from both the NUM and the department of mineral resources and energy, which Mantashe now leads. Workers claim that at least R40 million was handed over to the NUM, to be invested for 10 years. Now, 25 years later, they say they have not received a cent and believe the money has grown with interest. In the Ramaphosa settlement on Gauteng's East Rand, Paulina Mokwena sits beside her husband, a former drill operator at the mine. He now struggles to walk, a condition she says was caused by injuries he sustained underground. Mahlatsi Moleya 'When the mine closed, Mantashe and the NUM were involved,' she says. 'They said they had the money. Now my husband's dying, and we haven't seen a cent. If he dies without that money, what does that say about justice in this country?' Former mine worker Leonard Maseko remembers the day the liquidators came in. He says it was then that the promises started. We were told Gwede Mantashe and his team had negotiated with the mine bosses. Later, they said the amount was too little and the money would be invested for ten years. Former mine worker Leonard Maseko 'That was more than 20 years ago. The money is there, they say, but Mantashe won't meet with us. No answers. No truth.' Some former mineworkers believe they were deliberately kept in the dark while others allegedly received hush-money payouts. "Hey, give people R2 on the corners,' says Maseko. 'Even Paul Kruger is said to be involved. But how? If the money is still in investments, where is that cash coming from?' Juliet Adam lost both her parents to this fight. Her father, who worked at the mine from 1967, died of TB in 2002. Her mother died years later, still pursuing the unpaid benefits. 'My parents died broke,' Adam says. We couldn't go to university, while others, like Mantashe's children, could. This fight has cost us everything. Timothy Sibisi, who claims he worked as Mantashe's bodyguard before he became the minister of mineral and petroleum resources, says his recent denial of any knowledge about the ERPM mine workers is deeply painful. I used to escort [protect] him every day. He was scared of being killed. I protected him. And now he says he doesn't know us. Timothy Sibisi Sibisi adds: 'It's betrayal, nothing less.' Mahlatsi Moleya Zuma, who leads the Land and Minerals Movement, has become a voice for the families. He says the group believes the outstanding amount is at least R40 million and that it should have grown with interest over the years. 'The figure is based on what former mine workers believe was owed in wages, packages and potential returns,' Zuma explains. We want that R40 million and the interest. We've been patient for 25 years. It's enough. Zakhele Zuma Rumours of secret payouts have only deepened the mistrust. 'We hear that some people were given money under the table, R1 000 here and there,' says Maseko. 'Where's that money coming from if it's all 'invested'?' The affected families say they have written to the NUM, Mantashe's office and the liquidators over the years but have received no proper response. Some say they have even been threatened or discouraged from pursuing the matter. City Press can confirm that documentation exists showing the NUM was involved in the payment arrangements for the funds intended for the mine workers and their families. What remains unclear is how the money was managed and why no payments have been made to workers. Timeline: A long wait for justice 1967: Juliet Adam's father begins work at the ERPM. 1998: ERPM placed under provisional liquidation. 1999: Mine shuts down; about 4 000 workers are affected. Early 2000s: R40 million reportedly handed to the NUM to invest for 10 years. 2017: No payments made; affected families demand transparency from the union. 2025: Workers organise under the Land and Minerals Movement. City Press contacted Mantashe and the NUM for comment. They had not responded by the time of publication. This is a developing story.
South China Morning Post
05-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
How can consumers avoid being burned after collapse of Singaporean 1880 club in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong branch of a Singapore-based private club has proceeded with liquidation with debts of about HK$20 million (US$2.5 million), following its abrupt closure after just seven months in business. Advertisement The Post unpacks the potential pitfalls of joining a private club and what consumers should do to protect themselves. 1. What's happened to 1880 Hong Kong? The private club, located at Swire Properties' Two Taikoo Place office complex in Quarry Bay, on Friday announced it was closing, citing 'cash flow difficulties' and failed attempts to raise funds. All memberships and associated privileges were discontinued. The move has left 100 employees without pay for two months and some members angered by sales made shortly before the closure. The company is believed to have owed staff members about HK$4 million in unpaid wages and around HK$15 million to suppliers and its landlord, Swire Properties, which has repossessed the premises. The club, which opened its doors on November 8 last year, occupied four floors offering event spaces, a gym with spa facilities and several restaurants. The sudden closure of 1880 Hong Kong club has left 100 employees without pay for two months. Photo: 1880 Each member had to pay a joining fee of around HK$24,000 and a monthly subscription fee of HK$1,300, or HK$14,000 for a full year, according to the founding member rates seen by the Post.
