Labour Centres should remain open to process flood of UIF claims
31 March 2020
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling upon the Department of Employment and Labour to re-open the main labour centres in all nine provinces to deal with the flood of Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) claims that will be submitted as a result of the 21-day lockdown period.
On 27 March, the Department indicated that all labour centres would be closed for the duration of the lockdown, and advised members of the public to stop visiting them. Instead, employers and workers were advised to access the Department’s services – such as the downloading and submission of UIF forms – electronically.
The Department’s rationale for closing labour centres was to limit the spread of Covid-19. While understandable, the effect of this move has been to leave UIF claimants stranded at a time when they need the Department’s help most acutely.
Many UIF claimants do not have computers to access the Department’s services online. They need to be able to access hard copies of the relevant forms and submit them manually. It should be possible for the Department to continue offering a pared-down frontline service while enforcing strict physical distancing and hygiene measures at labour centres.