Talks between Sun City and Cosatu in the North West deadlocked on Thursday over outstanding payment to workers for overtime, public holidays and gratuities.
“Sun International is agreeing that it owes workers money for the tips, including those that it has being taking illegally from workers,” Congress of SA Trade Unions provincial secretary Solly Phetoe said in a statement.
“The dispute is how to pay and from when.”
The meeting started at 6pm on Wednesday and ended at 1am on Thursday.
It was attended by representatives of Cosatu, Sun City, and the economic development department.
North West government spokesman Lesiba Kgwele said a memorandum handed to the premier on October 16 stated that outstanding fees owed to workers amounted to R26 million.
Cosatu demand that the money be paid to workers by the end of the month.
“In the meeting it was discovered that, indeed, Sun City has the workers' money, but they are not willing to pay it to the workers and we do not know why,” Phetoe said.
“The federation wants it to be paid for the last 15 years and we want it to be paid to workers by the end of November, but the employer is refusing. They want to buy time.”
Phetoe said Sun City agreed that it had been undermining the laws of the country, including “committing criminal activities by stealing from the poor workers”.
Sun International spokeswoman Sue Klerck said a statement would be issued later.
Cosatu threatened to plan a protest during the Nedbank Golf Challenge from November 29 to December 2 if workers were not paid. - Sapa