Tanaka Mahanya
A ZIMBABWEAN woman, Gladys Chingoka, who is based in the United Kingdom, has been accused of fleecing and mistreating desperate job seekers through her home care agency, Home Support Services.
Workers claim Chingoko pays some employees as low as £150 per month, despite the contracts stating that they will work 39 or 40 hours a week and be paid a full basic wage.
She allegedly threatens to get them deported if they expose her ill-treatment of them.
In addition, Chingoka is alleged to have created two pay slips, one for the government agencies and one for employees.
She is also accused of providing poor accommodation and blocking employees from taking on secondary jobs.
Some of her workers are understood to have now sought asylum.
“Zimbabweans are suffering at the hands of her inhumane treatment,” sources said.
“Chingoka is currently in Zimbabwe to recruit more people, making them pay £6 000 each.
“People who came were on a contract of 40 hours per week, and a salary of £1 700 per month.
“The UK government pays wages for her employees and training, but she creates two pay slips, one for the government, and one for employees.
“She provides dilapidated accommodation for employees who have no access to a lease.
“It’s modern-day slavery.
“Workers stay at a company rented house and don’t even know how much they pay for accommodation, as money is just deducted from their wages.”
The sources added:
“Most of her workers are now destitute.
“They cannot return home because they owe those who helped them pay for visa processing and air tickets.
“How does she expect people to survive on £150 a month?
“Most workers are now owing her because they are not working, as she blocks them from taking other jobs.”
Efforts to get a comment from Chingoka were fruitless, as she did not respond to messages or answer her phone.