According to one of the workers, they have only received their Ters payments for April and June.
WORKERS at Steers, Debonairs Pizza and Fishaways at the Monument Spar Shopping Complex downed tools on Monday after they demanded their outstanding UIF Covid-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (Ters) payments.
The SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Saccawu) represented the workers in an attempt to get clarity regarding their payments.
According to one of the workers, they have only received their Ters payments for April and June.
The workers were advised by the union not to prevent customers from entering the facilities.
Saccawu representative Anthony Kgobi said the unions had advised the staff to rather rotate between serving the customers and engaging with management.
Kgobi also assured the workers that none of them would be “victimised” as a result of today’s action.
“Management continued to brush us off and indicated that they sent the money back to the Department of Labour when we enquired about our May payment,” the worker stated.
At least three workers said they have never received any Ters money.
“We have been sent from pillar to post by the Department of Labour and the employer but no one seems to know where our money disappeared to,” they said.
“It is not fair that we have been sidelined because we worked the same shifts as our colleagues.”
Kgobi indicated that Saccawu would launch a dispute with the employer on issues raised by the workers, including “stock loss deductions”.
“We need clarity about these deductions, as well as the outstanding Ters payments from the employer.
“We tried to engage with management earlier in June to resolve these issues but the general manager chased the union members away.”
The general manager, John Smith, on Monday reassured customers that the stores would continue to operate as normal.
“This was just a planned general meeting between the workers and management,” added Smith.
