Daybreak Foods workers march for TERS funds

Employees of Daybreak Foods marched to demand TERS payments.

About 200 workers of poultry company Daybreak Foods marched to the Department of Employment and Labour in Pretoria on Friday. They are demanding to be paid Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) funds.

The workers are affiliated with the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU).

TERS provides temporary financial assistance of up to 12 months to companies or employees facing financial distress.

Daybreak Foods, owned by the Public Investment Corporation, was placed under business rescue in July this year and applied for the TERS, according to Mokete Ntsoereng, the secretary of the employees committee at the company.

“The majority of the workers were sent home when the business rescue started. The workers sitting at home are receiving a stipend of R1,500 every month,” said Ntsoereng.

The workers sang and danced while marching to the department. At the office, representatives of unions and Daybreak Foods workers took the mic to voice their concerns. Most of them explained how difficult life has been at home without a living wage. They appealed to the department to speedily approve Daybreak Foods’ application for TERS.

Irene Mohale from Daveyton said, “Our landlords are locking us out [of our rented rooms] because we can’t pay the rent. We are sitting at home. We can’t buy clothes for our children. I’m crying over what my children will wear. Please give us the TERS.”

Another employee, Letty Sibanyoni, from Delmas in Mpumalanga, said she is struggling to pay for her debts and buy food for her children. “My children do not attend creche anymore. We are starving.”

Among their demands were for the department to help with temporary relief to workers while the company stabilises under business rescue, and to support the long-term success of the adopted business plan.

The memorandum was accepted by Masilo Lefika, the deputy director for employment equity in the Department of Employment and Labour. He promised to give feedback to the group.

“How you feel is very heartbreaking. We will try by all means to expedite your concerns in this memorandum,” said Lefika.

 

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