Question NW1455 to the Minister of Employment and Labour
22 September 2020 - NW1455
Groenewald, Mr IM to ask the Minister of Employment and Labour
Whether, with reference to the fact that most municipalities do not apply the principle of no-work-no-pay, resulting in unprotected illegal strikes, the Government engaged with the trade unions to protect the taxpayers and ensure that they receive value for money for taxes and rates that they pay by allowing municipal employees to rather claim from the Unemployment Insurance Fund during the period of lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 in line with other citizens who are on a no-work-no-pay arrangement; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Municipalities’ employees are legible to apply for Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF)benefits if the employer has registered them using a reference number.
UIF Covid-19 TERS, are funds that a meant for employees who have been temporary laid-off due to lockdown as everybody is adhering to health and safety protocols having occasioned by the outbreak of devastating Covid-19. Attempting to curb the spread of Covid-19 and flatten the curve, many employees had to stay at home, so, to mitigate against the hardship of not earning whilst staying at home, employers on behalf of employees or employees themselves had to apply for UIF Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS).Ifworkers were on strike and notat work it would not be possible for them to qualify for COVID-19 TERS benefits.
The employees could qualify for other UIF benefits as and when they getunemployed, dismissed, retrenched deceased, on maternity leave etc.
Municipalities have the right to register for the Unemployment Insurance and pay contribution to the Fund.