Miss-Delectable
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Sunday Independent
About 50 employees of a Pretoria CCTV surveillance company - some deaf and some with hearing problems - face an uncertain future following the collapse of the company.
On Thursday staff employed to monitor recorded surveillance footage at Retail Business Intelligence (RBI) in Hatfield met management to establish their position, but to no avail.
"RBI is exploiting deaf people because they know they can't speak for themselves," said one worker.
The woman, speaking on behalf of the hearing-impaired employees, said they had not been paid since November.
She said the employees, some of whom have been with the company for more than three years, were sent letters inviting them to a meeting on Thursday.
The woman said management told them not to return to work until further notice.
"We don't know what is happening. We just want our money," she said.
On the RBI website, the company claims to offer a "video-based risk management system" and some of their "major clients" include Spar, "which has already installed our technology at a large number of their chain outlets".
"As well as 900 service stations in the Engen, Caltex, BP, Sasol and Shell petroleum stable," it states.
Company director Peter van Rensburg had not answered calls or responded to messages by the time of going to Press.
Johannes Phala, speaking through a sign interpreter, said: "I have no food at home. There is nothing I can do now except look for another job, but it's tough for deaf people to find work."
About 50 employees of a Pretoria CCTV surveillance company - some deaf and some with hearing problems - face an uncertain future following the collapse of the company.
On Thursday staff employed to monitor recorded surveillance footage at Retail Business Intelligence (RBI) in Hatfield met management to establish their position, but to no avail.
"RBI is exploiting deaf people because they know they can't speak for themselves," said one worker.
The woman, speaking on behalf of the hearing-impaired employees, said they had not been paid since November.
She said the employees, some of whom have been with the company for more than three years, were sent letters inviting them to a meeting on Thursday.
The woman said management told them not to return to work until further notice.
"We don't know what is happening. We just want our money," she said.
On the RBI website, the company claims to offer a "video-based risk management system" and some of their "major clients" include Spar, "which has already installed our technology at a large number of their chain outlets".
"As well as 900 service stations in the Engen, Caltex, BP, Sasol and Shell petroleum stable," it states.
Company director Peter van Rensburg had not answered calls or responded to messages by the time of going to Press.
Johannes Phala, speaking through a sign interpreter, said: "I have no food at home. There is nothing I can do now except look for another job, but it's tough for deaf people to find work."