SINGAPORE: Several outlets of soy milk retailer Jollibean has shut in the past year, with its workers claiming that they have been owed months of salaries and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions.

Once a household name with more than 30 outlets spanning the island, there are only five physical Jollibean outlets still operating.

Asked about his workers' unpaid salaries, the director of Jollibean Foods Shahrul Nazrin Mohd Dahlan told CNA that the company has a new owner and is working closely with the authorities to resolve salary issues by the end of the month.

Mr Shahrul Nazrin, who is still listed in public business records as the company's director, indicated that the closure of an outlet was part of a downsizing exercise, but did not say why the company did not pay its workers on time.

Speaking to CNA, past staff members from Jollibean also described how they arrived at work only to find that their outlets had been closed without any prior notice from the company.

"At first, we worked so hard and did not get paid so we were very emotional. Now I think, just forget it. I will just treat it as charity," said one such worker, who had yet to receive her wages for the last month of work. 

All eight current and present workers that CNA spoke to declined to be identified to not jeopardise any chance that they will be paid eventually. Some said they were continuing to work at Jollibean because they still hoped to get back what they were owed.

Of the eight local outlets presently listed on Jollibean's website, three are no longer in operation.

These outlets, located at Lavender MRT Station, Raffles Place MRT station and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital were shuttered as of Tuesday (Jul 8).

The stores at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Raffles Place MRT Station were hoarded up, while the Lavender MRT Station branch had a notice tacked to the door stating that the premises had been repossessed by SMRT Trains from Jun 30.

In response to queries, the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), a trade union affiliated to the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), said that Jollibean is a non-unionised company. 

"Affected workers can approach the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) to make an appointment for advisory services on employment disputes, an FDAWU spokesperson said in a statement issued to CNA on Wednesday (Jul 9).

CNA has reached out to TADM and the Ministry of ...