Fin24 reports that the business sector is part of a push to get government to reinstate the Unemployment Insurance Fund's (UIF’s) Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters).
The matter will be discussed this week at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). On Tuesday, Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said that government, with business representatives and unions, would "thrash out" an income-support plan for workers affected by level 4 lockdown restrictions. UIF representatives have been in discussions with actuaries to confirm that there are enough funds to cover a Ters extension, while not threatening the viability of the fund. "From the side of the UIF we believe we will be able to support laid-off workers in sectors which have been closed by government ... in particular the alcohol industry, over the 14-day lockdown," Nxesi said. Business Unity SA’s (Busa’s) Cas Coovadia said they were part of appeals to the government to restart Ters, but were sensitive to the fact that the government had a fiscal problem. However, he said: "I think Ters might be a short-term solution, but I think we are beginning to learn that we are still not getting an appropriate handle on Covid-19. And I think we need to plan for the medium term now." Ters was introduced at the start of hard lockdown in 2020 and was suspended almost a year later in March 2021.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Penelope Mashego at Fin24 (paywall access only)
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