Thousands of workers might miss out on Covid-19 TERS UIF payouts

Date: 5 JULY 2020

MEDIA RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

THOUSANDS OF WORKERS MIGHT MISS OUT ON COVID-19 TERS UIF PAYOUTS

The COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU) is deeply concerned that thousands of clothing, textile, footwear and leather industry workers might miss out on Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) COVID-19 TERS relief payments.

This concern arises out of the findings of a recently completed SACTWU snap survey of UIF COVID-19 relief fund applications done by employers in our industry.

The survey was urgently completed in anticipation that the UIF might soon announce a closure date for April 2020 UIF relief fund applications. The UIF has recently publically indicated its desire to do so, in order to bring more certainty to the quantum of claims still to be processed.

Our snap survey shows that employers from about 300 workplaces in our industry, jointly employing about 7 500 workers, might not have applied for UIF COVID-19 relief funding at all. These are mainly smaller enterprises but which nevertheless, combined, employ thousands of workers.

Our trade union will now approach these employers directly, to ascertain the exact reasons why many of them have failed to make the necessary applications for UIF relief funding, on behalf of their employees. It will be a complete disaster if so many thousands of workers miss out on what is rightly due to them, simply because a few employers are not doing what they are required by law to do.

This problem is compounded by the fact that many workers are already expressing deep concerns about very serious delays in the receipt of UIF payments and, in some instances, incorrect such payments.

Combined, these matters are causing very serious industrial relations difficulties and tensions at shop floor level. This is unfortunate, as thousands of workers continue to battle to care for themselves and their families, in consequence of the loss of, or substantially reduced, income levels due to the lockdown.

Over the next few days, SACTWU will intensify its efforts to ensure that every qualifying company in our industry has actually applied for UIF COVID-19 TERS relief funding, for their workers.

In addition, to help mitigate the hardships which many workers continue to face in the current context, we call on the UIF to urgently resolve the serious delays in payments which had been logged in the claims system some time ago. This is especially urgent and important for those workers who have not yet been paid out their legitimately filed UIF COVID-19 TERS benefit claims at all, since the start of the lockdown.

Issued by
André Kriel
SACTWU
GENERAL SECRETARY

If any further information or comment is required, kindly contact SACTWU Deputy General Secretary Membinkosi Vilina, on cell number
081 585 3798.