The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) together with Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) in North West on Friday, 24 November 2023 convened a stakeholder engagement session with trade union representatives from all industries and sectors in the province to discuss issues affecting workers in the province, and to come up with practical solutions for them as a collective.

The session took place at Safari Lodge in Rustenburg and was attended by more than 100 guests who were led by their provincial secretaries, including members from National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (Satawu) and various other trade unions.

Unemployment Insurance Fund Commissioner Teboho Maruping during his address instructed officials from the UIF's compliance unit to partner with COSATU in the province to intensify compliance with the Unemployment Insurance Act and other related laws of the Department of Employment and Labour.

Maruping said the partnership has the potential to significantly reduce claim processing delays, because employer non-compliance is at the centre of most delays.

“Non-compliance by employers is still the biggest frustrator for the UIF and workers in North West Province. It is a problem that must be dealt with decisively for the improvement of UIF services to its clients. I have instructed the UIF's compliance unit to forge a strategic partnership with COSATU in the province to ramp up compliance and bring an end to it," said Maruping.

COSATU Provincial Secretary Kopano Konopi, who attended the occasion, called on the UIF to speed up claim value chain processes so that clients can have their monies paid out faster.

“The UIF must educate employees so they can know what is needed during the claims process," said Kanopi.

“We are urging the UIF to come up with solutions where employees will not be in long queues when they are claiming their benefits. We want an improvement in the turnaround times from the UIF," he said.

On developments in the Fund Commissioner Maruping told guests that the UIF is leveraging on technology to make it easier for employers to comply and for employees to access services.

To this end said Maruping, the UIF has introduced various platforms such as Ufiling, a data free Mobile App and a USSD platform from where services can be accessed by dialling *134*843# from any type of cellphone.

Maruping implored COSATU to encourage its members to utilise the platforms more particularly to check their UIF registration and declaration status whilst in employment. He said that in cases where employees discover they are not registered or declared, prompt reporting to a labour inspector at any labour centre is essential.

On Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Covid-19 TERS) payments the Commissioner disclosed that since March 2020 to date the UIF has paid out R2.1 billion to 453 941 workers in the North West province during and after the pandemic.

With regards to the UIF's normal benefits such as unemployment, maternity and illness benefit, the Fund paid out R3.2 billion to employees in quarter two of the current financial year.

The session saw Commissioner Maruping and COSATU North West Provincial Secretary Kopano Konopi agree to have UIF officials conduct education sessions for trade union members during workplace meetings such as Branch General Meetings.

“This is an opportunity for the UIF to educate union members without them having to go all the way to a labour centre or a satellite office for information. With the UIF visiting employees at work during their union meetings, there will also be an opportunity to sensitise workers about the various benefits we offer and how to claim them," said Maruping.

Dates of the visits will be finalised between the UIF and individual unions.

Media enquiries:  

Trevor Hattingh

Director: Communication (UIF)

Cell: 067 410 4099 | Email: trevor.hattingh@labour.gov.za

-ENDS-

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour

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