From fraud allegations to faulty systems – how the UIF Covid-19 relief fund made headlines

Durban company employees demand payments 

Employees of Durban-based underwear company Playtex demanded payments from employers, saying they had not been paid since the lockdown started and their salaries were cut by half.

They told TimesLIVE that some of the employees had allegedly been suspended for confronting the employer about payments.

Another employee claimed they checked online and saw that their money had been paid to the company.

Companies investigated for employee non-payment

Labour & employment minister Thulas Nxesi said he would appoint auditors to track companies that have not paid employees what is due to them.

He said the department also learnt that some companies were lending employees their UIF payouts, while others only paid part of the money and not the full amount.

Nxesi said the department puts employees first and in some instances paid out companies which were not compliant.

Business slams department for delayed payments

Business for SA Labour’s Rob Legh said the department, and not the companies, was to blame for delayed payments caused by glitches in the IT system, which saw May payments only being processed after payday. The department had adjusted its system to pay employees directly after allegations that some companies were pocketing payments.

Legh said employees had been putting pressure on companies to pay them after Nxesi’s accusations.

By Cebelihle Bhengu – DispatchLive