Singapore Fitness Alliance steps in to help affected True Fitness, True Yoga staff, freelancers find jobs
The non-profit industry association will however not be involved in efforts to recover unpaid salaries or commissions.
The Singapore Fitness Alliance (SFA) is stepping in to assist affected employees and freelancers of True Group find new jobs. The SFA, a non-profit industry association, is spearheading the initiative in collaboration with the National Instructors & Coaches Association (NICA) and e2i, an employment and employability institute run by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).
True Fitness and True Yoga, part of the True Singapore Group, suspended operations on September 11 after their Hong Kong parent company, Kontafarma, announced its decision to liquidate the businesses due to market competition and cost pressures. True Fitness and True Yoga operated seven outlets in Singapore, making a total of seven centers under the True Group.
As of September 11 at 6pm, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) had received 241 complaints from consumers, with estimated losses totalling over $609,000 in unutilized memberships, packages, and services. The employees were informed of the sudden closure via email at around 10:30pm on September 10, an hour before the official shutdown.
The employees were asked to sign termination forms during a liquidators’ meeting in Claymore Hill on September 11. Around 50 former True Fitness and True Yoga staff attended the meeting, where they were given termination forms to sign. Calvin Siew, a 43-year-old exercise instructor, expressed his concern over the delayed payment of his September wages, stating that staff would need to wait for further updates.
Mani Jr, a 28-year-old personal trainer, highlighted the difficulties faced by foreign employees who may have to leave Singapore within a period of seven to 30 days following the termination of their work passes. Employers, as per the Ministry of Manpower's guidelines, must cancel foreign employees' work passes within one week of their last day of employment, issuing temporary passes such as Short-Term Visit Passes to allow these individuals time to pack up or seek new employment.
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