About 14 families living and working on a farm in Philippi - Greyhill Flora in the Western Cape - face an uncertain future after the farm was sold by the owner.

The workers, who have lived on the farm for many years, said they were told in June that the farm had been sold by owner Anton Horstmann.

They said they were offered money according to the years they had worked on the farm, starting from R1 000.

Community leader Abe Fransman said the farm owner told the workers to hand over the keys to their homes in return for the money.

"He said if they don't give him the keys, they won't be getting any money from him," said Fransman.

He said if he had not gone to the police last Friday, they wouldn't have been paid their R220 a week wages.

The owner handed the residents papers with their names and the amount they were being offered.

Fransman said when workers refused to hand over the keys, the owner put a stop to transport that had been provided to take their children to school. "He doesn't even pay for the transport because he deducts it from their salaries," Fransman said. The children had not been at school for two weeks because of this, said Fransman.

A farm resident, Fiellies Fytyie, 60, who used to work on the farm before she became blind, said she did not know where to go if she was evicted.

"I'll be forced to go stay on the streets because I don't have anywhere else to go," she said.

Another resident, Pattie Afrika, 74, said she had been living on the farm since she was 20 and was now confused about the way she had been treated.

Union official Sebastian Julie said the farm owner did not follow the law in terms of the Extension on the Security of Tenure Act.

"He is supposed to offer the workers a package, which includes one week's payment for every year they have worked, their last week's work payment, their annual leave payment and notice payment," said Julie.

He said the owner only offered to pay one week's pay per year without the extras.

Julie said farm workers who were over 60 and had worked on a farm for more that 10 years may not be evicted in terms of the law.

"He is not allowed to evict people, only the court has a right to do that," Julie said.

They had taken the matter to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration and would have a lawyer to represent them in court by on Friday.

Managing consultant for the farm owner, Johan Visser, said the workers were all issued with letters informing them about the matter and were later called to a meeting. "The letters explained their rights and they were offered packages according to the years they worked in the farm."

He denied the workers were only offered one week's pay for every year, saying the package included annual leave and notice pay. He was not aware of any law that said workers over 60 who had been on the farm for more that 10 years could not be evicted.