Masterton cleaners in the dark and out of pocket

Gerald Ford
Masterton cleaners left out of pocket when their company stopped paying them say they have yet to hear a single word from their one-time employer.
Up to 12 staff of Southern Cleaning Services noticed last month that their wages hadn't been paid, supervisor Joyce Oswald said yesterday.
Most staff have been offered continued work by the workplaces who contracted Southern Cleaning Services.
Mrs Oswald said she received phone calls from the workers saying they hadn't been paid, and her own pay had not come through, either.
"I rang my direct boss. He said he didn't know what had happened.
"I said what do I do. He said go and see the clients and tell them Southern Cleaning Services couldn't do the work.
"Other places people just weren't turning up, but I couldn't do that," Mrs Oswald said.
She said Southern Cleaning Services "hadn't actually been declared insolvent, but we didn't hear anything for six to eight weeks".
Mrs Oswald said clients Farmers' Transport, ITM, Good Beginnings childcare centre and Cafe Cecille had all agreed to continue to employ their individual cleaners.
"It's been mainly the actual clients who have taken them over."
One of the workers, Susan Armstrong, said the most annoying part of the whole saga is that she still "hadn't heard a thing" from Southern Cleaning Services.
She retained her contract to clean Westpac Bank, but has since suffered a leg injury and is receiving accident compensation.
Besides the week she wasn't paid, she "had three to four weeks holiday pay owing", Mrs Armstrong said.
"I've got no idea if there is any chance of getting it back."
Makoura College employed six of the cleaners and acting principal Sandy Lidbetter said, as chairwoman of the board property committee, she became aware that "cleaners weren't coming in, because they weren't getting paid".
She had "contacted the firm and got no reply".
Mrs Lidbetter said she had gone to principal Chris Scott, and the financial adviser, and a plan was developed to employ the existing cleaners on rotating two-week contracts, and pay them for their hours.
"It is a stop-gap measure. We're still investigating all other options."
Mrs Lidbetter said the school is using Southern Cleaning Services' gear since they hadn't fulfilled their contract to clean the school.
"We don't have any gear or money to buy it. They haven't asked to have it back."
The cleaners' representative for Nga Ringa Tota Service and Food Workers Union, Mea'ole Keil, said workers had been advised to make their own arrangements with the places they cleaned, and not to work for Southern Cleaning Services any more.
Michelle Thomas, a South Island SFWU organiser, said she is still seeking compensation on behalf of union members for "backpay and annual leave".
When the Wairarapa Times-Age called the cellphone number of Southern Cleaning Services an automated response said the number could not receive calls.