A Samoa workers union is threatening to name and shame owners of companies who have failed to pay workers National Provident Fund contributions.
Photo: Samoa First Union
TV1 Samoa reports the matter has been raised after workers left without jobs due to the covid-19 pandemic found they couldn't withdraw their 20 percent entitlements from their NPF contributions.
Samoa First Union's director Seveaoga Saina Setu said they were working with many people who had recently lost jobs and discovered their bosses have not been paying their contributions - some for more than five years.
She said it had now been 9 weeks since the start of the covid-19 State of Emergency lockdown and the workers are desperate to access contributions.
Workers are required by law to pay 10 percent of their wages as NPF contributions and the employer is obligated to match that.
The Union representative said the issue was not new and was now a widespread problem also affecting wage earners and people who still have jobs.
She said they had started a register of workers without jobs - most are hotel and restaurant workers - more than 500 are now without jobs.
First Union said it was now working with Company bosses to make sure the payments were made immediately, warning that if not they will be reported to the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour.
Failing that, Samoa First Union stands ready to publish their names to make them pay the workers entitlements