Clothing industry becomes first industry to pay out Covid-19 UIF relief funds
20 April 2020
Workers in the clothing manufacturing industry have become the first in our country to receive an industry-wide COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) relief pay-out.
This follows on the ground-breaking collective agreement which was concluded under the auspices of the clothing industry bargaining council, on 23 March 2020, and which was promulgated as law by the Minister of Employment & Labour on 26 March 2020.
The provisions of that unique collective agreement caters for clothing industry employees to be paid their full wages, made up of a combination of voluntary employer contributions and worker UIF monies, for a 6-week lockdown period.
The agreement was concluded between the COSATU-affiliated Southern African Clothing & Textile Workers’ Union (SACTWU), the Apparel & Textile Association of South Africa (ATASA), and the South African Apparel Association (SAAA).