On Friday (13 Oct), Flash Coffee shut down all their outlets in Singapore, bringing an abrupt end to their operations here.
This came amid allegations that the company had failed to pay their staff salaries on time.
While Flash Coffee squashed the allegations, a union has said that the company still owes staff their salaries, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions and leave entitlements.
In a Facebook post on Friday (13 Oct) night, the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) released a media statement on the matter.
They said they first knew of Flash Coffee’s liquidation that day and contacted some of their staff to understand what had happened.
Source: FDAWU on Facebook
They received information that staff first learnt of the company’s closure on Tuesday (10 Oct).
While all Flash Coffee outlets shuttered on Wednesday (11 Oct), the company had been put on provisional liquidation on Monday (9 Oct), FDAWU said.
The company purportedly communicated this to their staff at a meeting on Thursday (12 Oct).
This was apparently the same day they terminated their staff’s services.
Source: Flash Coffee
Unfortunately, a few loose ends have not been tied up when it comes to the staff, FDAWU said.
Specifically, the union claimed that Flash Coffee owed some workers:
For the salaries, a balance of 75% for September was outstanding, the union added.
On top of that, they owed staff remuneration for their work up to 12 Oct.
Former employees also haven’t received encashment for their remaining leave days, FDAWU noted, further stating,
The workers engaged by the union shared that there were no explicit plans to put up any coordinated action following companies’ sharing of the situation at hand.
In response to MS News’ queries earlier on Friday, a Flash Coffee spokesperson denied that their Singapore staff went on strike.
Rather, their baristas didn’t have to report to work as they had ceased operations at all 11 outlets islandwide, they said.
The closure is part of the company’s “renewed focus”, which includes doubling down on its “most promising markets”.
They’re trying to help their baristas find opportunities elsewhere, while most of their Singapore head office staff have been offered roles in other markets or with their regional team, they added.
On their part, FDAWU is assisting affected members with salary-related claims, they said.
They will also provide job assistance support, they added, maintaining,
FDAWU will continue to monitor the situation and render any further support to members where required.
Affected workers can contact the union at 6737 6088 during working hours or email fdawu@ntuc.org.sg for assistance.
Three years have passed since Flash Coffee opened its first outlet in Singapore, located at Oxley Tower.
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