‘Companies accused of withholding UIF payments to employees’ 10 May 2020

Unibisco is the first company to be exposed as having allegedly failed to disburse money claimed from the Unemployment Insurance Fund Covid-19 relief fund to its employees.​ Labour minister Thulas Nxesi named and shamed the biscuit manufacturer after hundreds of workers this week were up in arms after they were not paid. “We have companies that are misrepresenting us before their workers and the public. For instance, we were accused by a company in the Eastern Cape, Unibisco, when their workers demanded their money that we have not paid them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our records indicate that this company was paid a total of R539,595 on April 24 to pass on to their workers," said Nxesi said.

However, an unnamed company representative told SABC News on Thursday the money received from the UIF was inadequate. "Each company applies for the UIF to compensate people who are not going to be back at work, which has been done by our company since April and even during the period when we were closed down. When the UIF money came back it didn't come back complete, not for everyone," he said.

Nxesi said the UIF system has been revamped for employees to check the status of claims submitted by their employers. "Employees can access their employers’ records by entering their ID number. They will be able to see how much has been paid to the company and the specific amount paid to them as an employee."