Hotel workers protest over UIF Ters payouts in Cape Town
A group of hospitality workers picketed outside the provincial labour department offices on Wednesday. Picture: Mthuthuzeli Ntseku/Cape Argus
Cape Town – A group of hospitality workers picketed outside the provincial labour department offices on Wednesday over non-payment of UIF Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) benefits, retrenchments, and what they claimed were unfair labour practices.
Anele Mehlo, from the Western Cape Casual Workers Advice office, said the employers had been sending employees "from pillar to post" and not been giving satisfactory answers "while their families were starving".
“We have brought together more than 100 employees from different companies who have been complaining about non-payment of UIF Ters payments since the start of lockdown. Some have been given notice to be retrenched and some have, or are, experiencing unfair labour treatment.
"When acquiring the payments, they are given a run-around by their employers, and we want the Labour Department to check in their system whether money was paid into the companies,” Mehlo said.
An employee from one of the hotels said 80% of the workers at the hotel were permanent casuals, and that one could work "for years" without being permanently employed.
“Our contract with the hotel is an open-ended one, meaning they can tell you to sit at home and call you whenever they want, and this can go on for years without getting permanently employed,” he said.
A President Hotel employee claimed staff were called in on Tuesday to be retrenched.
President Hotel executive director Jeremy Clayton said UIF Ters benefits has started to catch up payments over the past three weeks.
“At the end of July, we received about 35% of all payments due for staff from April, May and June. During July we received a further 60%. Hence to date, we have received and paid to staff about 95% of Ters owing. July and August Ters applications have just opened and we are in the process of applying for this,” he said.
Clayton said the hotel was in the consulting process on retrenchments, through unions and staff representatives, and that there was no predetermined outcome and “we need to wait for the process to run its course”.
Department spokesperson Candice van Reenen said a memorandum from the protesters was received yesterday and the department would respond after perusal of the matter.
Cape Argus