Department of Labour Minister Thembelani Thulas Nxesi
Photo: Twitter/@NxesiThuli
Department of Labour Minister Thembelani Thulas Nxesi
Photo: Twitter/@NxesiThuli
Thousands more workers will now be able to claim from the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF) Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (Ters) after more expansive definitions were added to the application criteria.
Minister of Labour, Thulas Nxesi published a new directive on Monday 26 May that allows for employees to apply for funding themselves during the COVID-19 crisis.
The new directive expands the definition of a worker to include anyone who is a contributor to the UIF, or someone who had circumstances beyond their control and therefore did not qualify.
Those workers can now apply for relief themselves, rather than rely on their employers.
The new conditions are as follows, according to the new directive:
“An employee as defined in the Unemployment Act who should have received benefits under this directive but for circumstances beyond that employee’s control, namely that the employer failed to:”
This means that thousands of those whose employers had not contributed to the fund or registered them will be able to receive desperately needed relief.
The lack of applications from employers on behalf of their employees, as was the only way in which to navigate the process, had frustrated Nxesi, and the amendments follow a series of court challenges from the Casual Workers Advice Office, the Women on Farms Project and Izwi Domestic Workers.
The Term benefit provides for a minimum payment of R3,500 per month, and a maximum of R6,700. As of last week UIF has disbursed more than R14bn in Covid-19 relief benefits.
Nxesi said on Tuesday that despite the easing of lockdown measures allowing millions more people to return to work, the likelihood that many would nonetheless be retrenched or see their contracts terminated.
“While the easing of the nationwide lockdown regulations to alert level 3 would see the economy gradually reopening, the negative impact of COVID-19 would continue to be with us for a foreseeable future,” he said.
“We expect an increase in labour-related disputes due to retrenchments and termination of employment as employers try to stay afloat. This would undoubtedly place further strain on our ability to meet our social security obligations to the public.”
He added that employers need to come to the table and ensure the job security of their staff to the best of their abilities.
“We encourage employers to consult broadly when it comes to major decisions with an impact on job security such as intentions to lay-off workers,” he said.
“Retrenchments must be the last resort out of all the available remedies to the challenges we face.”
“We also expect employers to fully cooperate with labour inspectors who continue to enforce workplace regulations to protect the welfare of workers. We go to NEDLAC trusting that we will collectively explore opportunities available to all of us as partners to resolve the multiple and immense challenges presented by the pandemic.”