This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
Cape Argus reports that police are investigating a fraud case after a Western Cape Graafwater farm owner allegedly defrauded five workers of their Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters) money.
A police spokesperson advised that investigations were continuing and there had been no arrests. Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation director Billy Claasen said the farmer allegedly received Ters benefits as a lump sum, which he then paid into the workers accounts. However, according to Claasen, the farmer then took the workers to the bank to withdraw the money and made them pay it over to him. According to the employees, the owner at first told them the money was a loan he applied for on their behalf. The farmworkers organisation, accompanied by Labour Department chief inspector David Esau, visited the farm on Monday, but the farmer could not be found. Ex-policeman Jimmy Swartz, who investigated the incident, said the workers had been working throughout the Covid-19 lockdown period and had received their full salaries, so they were not eligible for the Ters benefit. Esau said the employer might be prosecuted for defrauding the fund, and that the department was working with other government agencies to locate him.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mthuthuzeli Ntseku at Cape Argus
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page