UIF and COSATU in Limpopo province meet to discuss bottom-up approach to drive up employer compliance
The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) yesterday, 10 July 2023, met with the Congress of the South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in the Limpopo province to strengthen relations between the two organisations with the aim of implementing a bottom-up approach that will see workers holding employers to account and drive up compliance.
The approach will be enabled by shop stewards who will serve as UIF information focal point to workers, tasked with sharing information that will empower workers to check their registration and declaration status with the UIF from their mobile phones at any time, and engage employers for correction, where necessary.
The meeting took place at Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane and was attended by provincial COSATU Secretary Hangwani Mashao and his Deputy Lesiba Monyaki, along with 100 delegates from various affiliated unions, including the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU); South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU); Clothing and Textile, Communication Workers Union (CWU), South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU); South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU); South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU); as well as the Agricultural Food and Allied Democratic Workers Union (AFADWU).
Addressing delegates at the occasion, UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping said organised labour and the UIF must work together as partners with a common goal to draw on each other’s strengths and energies, as this will maximise compliance.
According to Maruping employer non-compliance is the foremost stumble block for workers who come to the UIF to claim benefits in Limpopo province.
“The UIF is a social security agency that assists contributing workers and their beneficiaries in their time of financial need. Since COSATU and its members are on the ground and closer to worker issues, it is imperative that we strengthen relations, as this will ensure that education, information and advice about UIF benefits, processes, platforms as well as worker rights are available in the workplace.
Through a bottom-up approach I am confident that we will be able to drive up business compliance in Limpopo and all other parts of the country because workers will know what they are entitled to, and will be empowered enough to claim their rights and hold employers to account by asking relevant questions about their UIF contributions, registration and declaration status. This will assist in making sure that businesses do right by their workers and comply with the law to enable workers to claim benefits when the need arises,” said Maruping.
The Commissioner advised organised labour to share the UIF’s Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) code (*134*843#) with workers so that they can check if their employers have registered them and if their declarations are up to date, before they approach the UIF with a claim. Where these were not done, Maruping urged that employees enquire with employers for correction, or report employers to a labour inspector at any labour centre. The USSD service is free of charge and can be used from any type of mobile phone.
“The UIF will launch several additional platforms during the year to make it easier, cheaper and faster for clients, especially those in rural areas, to claim benefits and access UIF services freely and from the comfort of their homes,” added Commissioner Maruping.
The meeting saw the Commissioner further providing an update on matters related to the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Covid-19 TERS), revealing that to date, R1,7 billion was paid to 423 303 workers in the Limpopo province to sustain their livelihoods during and after the pandemic.
The top 10 sectors according to Maruping that received the lion's share of the funds are Personal Services, Trade, Mining, Construction, Professional Services, Agriculture, Education, Iron, Air and Food.
“The UIF will continue to work with organised labour to educate workers throughout the year and will have regular interactions to track compliance progress and unblock worker challenges speedily,” concluded Commissioner Maruping.
Mr Smiso Nkosi, a manager in the UIF Commissioner's Office, said Forensic Auditors are continuing to audit companies in Limpopo and around the country to ensure that the correct amounts of Covid-19 TERS monies were paid over to workers at the right time. To date, the audits led to arrests including a 10 year direct imprisonment sentence of businesswoman, Treasure Moremi, who was found guilty for defrauding the UIF of Covid-19 TERS funds.
COSATU Provincial Secretary, Hangwani Mashao, said organised labour was committed to working with the UIF to protect workers. Mashao expressed deep concerned about non-compliant employers and said their actions are to the detriment of workers.
The session concluded with an overall consensus that the UIF and organised labour would meet regularly to empower workers from all sectors and industries, to track compliance progress in the province and to unblock worker challenges speedily.
Media enquiries:
Trevor Hattingh
Cell: 067 410 4099
E-mail: Media.UIF@labour.gov.za
