Business Insider SA reports that Bidvest, one of the largest companies in SA, has forced 70,000 of its staff, who can’t work during national lockdown, to take leave.  If they don’t have enough annual leave days available, the leave will be unpaid.  

Those employees will each get R2,000 from Bidvest, specifically for food and other essentials.  Bidvest will also apply for benefits for employees in terms of the new Covid-19 Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (TERS), whereby the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) will “top up” salaries to a maximum of R6,730 a month (for those earning more than R17,700).  The company hopes that the UIF payments together with the additional R2,000 per month will ensure that the majority of Bidvest’s SA employees receive their full salary during the lockdown period.  Staff received their full salaries for March.  Bidvest owns a large group of diverse companies - including freight, security, car dealerships and office service subsidiaries - as well as a majority stake in pharmaceutical group Adcock Ingram.  The company employs some 100,000 people in SA.  Only 30,000 are currently working during the lockdown.  Bidvest has given a commitment that no employees will be retrenched during the lockdown period.  Executives in the company have agreed to a 40% pay cut during the lockdown.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Business Insider
• Read too, Bidvest instructs staff to take leave, paid or unpaid, at Sunday Independent

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