It's a tough call I guess. She can't show weakness here if she doesn't want to be taken advantage of, but getting rid of them would also just create more potential enemies since it's apparently going to effect their families too. Punishing them to some degree but keeping them working for her might be the best option, since she can assert her position and keep them in decent employment conditions at the same time. They'd probably appreciate not becoming "lower than slaves" as one of them called it.