30/04/2026
MINISTER IN MATSAPHA TEXTILE FIRM OVER WORKER COMPLAINTS:
Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi is currently locked in talks with management at textile company Artic Force in Matsapha, following a surge of worker grievances.
The complaints are serious and wide-ranging from alleged delayed salaries and unpaid overtime to claims of unreported layoffs and forced overtime, prompting the minister to take the unusual step of going directly to the factory floor.
But management is pushing back.
They have described the minister’s unannounced visit as both surprising and unsettling, insisting that workers are paid on time. According to the company, past payment delays were linked to banking issues and not internal failures. They maintain that all overtime work was properly compensated.
The engagement is ongoing, with both sides expected to clarify the situation as tensions between workers and management come under scrutiny.