The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the appointment of the new Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Board.
The Federation looks forward to working closely with the new Board and the Minister for Employment and Labour, Ms. N. Meth, to ensure that the endemic issues of mismanagement, corruption, aging infrastructure and archaic systems that have bedevilled this critical institution are finally uprooted and the UIF fully cleansed and modernised.
COSATU has been deeply angered by the litany of problems afflicting the UIF over many years. Employers have struggled to register workers. Workers have been subjected to the most callous disregard and endless queues waiting for days on end to receive their maternity, parental and adoption leave, as well as retrenchment payments.
It has been unacceptable that for so many years this state of mayhem has been allowed to carry on despite the repeated calls by labour and business for government to address these. Over the past few years, labour and business at Nedlac have been presented with vague PowerPoints promising a path to modernisation for the UIF.
It is critical that government remember that the UIF is funded by employees and employers and not the fiscus. It must serve workers efficiently at all times. We cannot accept workers queuing for days on end at Labour Centres in the 21st century.
UIF funds, when invested, must be done in a manner that supports and creates jobs, and improves the sustainability of the Fund. The days of lecherous tenderpreneurs and other shady characters helping themselves to these funds must come to an end. The Public Investment Corporation must be more hands on with these investments.
COSATU will be tabling proposals at Nedlac’s next phase of labour law amendments for the Unemployment Insurance Act to be amended to ensure that atypical workers, e.g. artists, actors, musicians, e-platform amongst others be covered by the UIF. We will also be tabling proposals to end community representation on the UI Board as the UIF is an employee employer contribution scheme. It does not require hungry visitors.
Issued by COSATU
Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)
Cell: 082 785 0687
Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za