Twelve Cupcakes staff get vouchers from unions as clock ticks for them to find new jobs
All union members were given supermarket vouchers ranging from S$150 to S$200 in value
[SINGAPORE] National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliate Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) on Tuesday (Nov 4) met former staff of Twelve Cupcakes to offer financial and career support.
The unions shared a list of companies hiring across a range of sectors, including food and beverage, retail and hospitality, with the affected employees at a meeting in the FDAWU Tower on River Valley Road.
All union members were given supermarket vouchers ranging from S$150 to S$200 in value, based on their membership tenure. Non-union members did not receive any vouchers, an NTUC representative told The Business Times.
With the sudden closure of the bakery chain, its staff are owed salary arrears. NTUC and FDAWU representatives at Tuesday’s meeting guided the employees on how to make their claims, and provided details to the liquidators.
“We are still waiting for (a meeting with) the liquidators on Nov 26 regarding our (salary-related) claims,” Josephine Janopol, 34, a former Twelve Cupcakes employee, said. “There is no guarantee, but we are hoping we can (claim back) any amount.”
Workers are expecting an e-mail on Thursday, which will confirm the timing of the online meeting via Zoom with the liquidators.
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For the time being, employees have taken to borrowing cash from friends and relatives to pay their rent, while others requested extensions on payments, or simply moved out.
“My rent is S$750 per month – for now, I have managed to pay about half that amount (for October),” Janopol, who is on a long-term visit pass, told The Business Times. “But this came from a mix of loans, and cash from things I sold to get by.”
Former outlet manager of Twelve Cupcakes Parmjeet Sharma, 37, shared that many staff members are selling personal belongings to friends or family members – mainly to cover their rent.
“Many employees have been obtaining the necessary cash by selling gold items or jewellery to pawnshops at the moment,” he said.
A significant worry at this point is whether 30 days (for S-Pass holders) or seven days (for work permit holders) are enough for workers to find new jobs.
“This issue is definitely stressful for us all,” Sharma said. “If we don’t find a job within this time, we all have to go back (to our home countries).”
BT has sent a query to the Ministry of Manpower on whether foreign worker visa extensions will be granted on compassionate grounds for these workers.
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