Elvia van der Watt in Sasolburg: ‘No work no pay’ taking its toll

I am a female working in project construction and my contract with my labour broker is on a “no work no pay” basis — and thus far we have had no news about whether we will get some form of compensation.

My employment is of a temporary nature and the project that I am working on have been put on hold due to this lockdown. This is causing horrendous stress and anxiety in our household.

We were already struggling financially to make ends meet before the lockdown. It was basically a choice between paying some bills or eating. Now, due to this lockdown, my husband — who works for ArcelorMittal — have been told that as of 1 April 2020, all employees will have to take a 40% pay cut.

Our situation is hopeless and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.