Workers at cleaning company Vertical Height Limited have exposed severe financial crisis after going for two months without receiving their salaries, with some employees now struggling to pay rent, keep their children in school and afford basic food.

In a complaint sent to Nyakundi Report by a worker who requested anonymity, the employees say that the company, Vertical Height Ltd owners Parag Shah, Nikunj Shah and Ekya Shah, have failed to pay them for the past two months despite continuing to expect them to report for work.

The workers say the situation has left some families facing eviction after their houses were locked over unpaid rent, while children have been sent home from school because parents cannot clear outstanding fees.

The complainant says the situation is particularly painful because the employees continue to take risks performing cleaning work at height, including washing windows on tall buildings, yet they have gone for months without the salaries they depend on to survive.

The worker say that management has shown little concern about how employees are managing without their wages, even as the same workers are expected to continue reporting to their assignments.

According to the complaint, employees who fail to show up for work because they cannot afford transport or are dealing with the consequences of unpaid salaries risk being threatened with dismissal. They are racially intimidated and descriminated infront of the office.

Hello, Nyakundi!

There is this Indian man by the name Parag Shah owning a cleaning company by the name Vertical height Limited.

He hasn't paid the workers for the last two months and he doesn't care how the workers are surviving, who takes the risk of the heights washing windows. Many of the workers already there house has been locked up, their children has being sent home due to school fees arrears and other even lack food for the day. He threaten to fire up anyone who doesn't show up at work! Please expose him for the workers to get their justice and the safety of the work in terms of payment! He is well know as FISH and reside at parklands.

Kenyan labour law places clear obligations on employers regarding payment of wages. Section 18 of the Employment Act provides that where a contract provides for payment at intervals, wages become due at the end of the period for which they are payable, subject to the terms of the employment agreement and the law. An employee who is paid monthly should consequently not be left indefinitely without wages simply because the employer has failed to meet its payroll obligations.

The law also gives labour officers powers to investigate employment complaints and inspect employment records. Under the Labour Institutions Act, labour officers can require employers to produce wage sheets and other employment records, enter workplaces, question employers and employees and investigate whether labour laws are being followed.

But for the workers, the situation is becoming increasingly urgent. They say they have already endured two months without pay, while rent continues to accumulate, school fees remain unpaid and some families are struggling to put food on the table.

When will the workers receive the salaries they have already earned, and what is being done to ensure that employees who risk their lives cleaning buildings at height are properly paid and protected?