Good day guys,

I hope to get some urgent advice here, as I have had no luck between the CCMA and DoL. (kept being referred to the other)

I have been employed with a company for 12 months. Our industry is not part of any unions that I am aware of.

My original package was discussed and agreed verbally (I know) but I do have a sms from the MD agreeing to the terms (R 16 000 nett plus commission). I accepted the offer and moved from PTA to CPT. From the first month, salaries were paid late and in halves. As the year progressed the half-payments grew further apart and I subsequently took out a couple of short term loans to make ends meet (Initiation fees and interests at my own costs). In May the company registered for business rescue and the CPT branch got our own account for business and salaries. I never claimed any commission since I knew the company was struggling. Whenever I asked about payment I was told that everybody was getting paid late and that I just had to deal with it and hold on. (although my pay slips still showed that I was being paid full, this was not the case).

In September I was told that my salary will now be R 7000.00 including Commission (I accepted since I could probably earn more or less what I had been earning to that point by now actually claiming commission). Since then I have received a total of R 13 000.00.

I am now blacklisted and not eligible for any loans. My land lord has reached the end of his patience and I will be evicted end of the month if payment is not made on time. On the 13th of October I enquired into salary once again and was rudely told that it was my fault that they could not pay my salary (!?), even though the woman in charge of the CPT branch had been spending LOTS of money on unnecessaries. I had enough, when I returned home that day I switched of my telephone and have not been to the office since (Did I mess up by doing this?)

As it stands the company owes me R 40 000.00. What is my best course of action for a quick and favourable result? I imagine our head office will have a specialist labour lawyer since some employees surely haven't held out as long as I have and taken them on.

Could anybody recommend a specialist or course of action? I am a nervous wreck over this.

Thanks in advance, and please let me know if any more information is needed.