The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is once again concerned about the functionality of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF)’s online system, uFiling, after receiving complaints from both workers and employers.
In October last year, COSATU raised concerns after the uFiling system was reported to have been offline for more than a month, frustrating workers and employers alike. At the time users attempting to use the system were met with a message explaining that the platform was under planned maintenance.
It later became clear the real reason the digital platform was offline was due to an IT contractor, who had successfully interdicted a successor from rendering the same service it previously provided to the UIF.
Currently, at face value the UIF website appears to be working properly, but some workers have reported that claims submitted via uFiling cannot be seen by officials and applicants are being advised to visit their nearest UIF office if they want to submit claims. This is extremely frustrating considering anyone applying for unemployment benefits is in financial distress.
Employers are equally frustrated because they cannot declare and pay UIF contributions on behalf of their employees. When the platform was offline previously, companies were asked to email U19 forms for each of their employees, resulting in huge amounts of paperwork. Those employers who were unwilling to use email, had the option of joining the snaking queues at the UIF offices.
COSATU has consistently called for the modernisation and restructuring of the UIF to ensure it provides income support to workers at their most vulnerable. Sadly, workers who have lost their jobs, women who are highly pregnant or have just given birth are forced to contend with long queues, are turned away and told to come back another day because they do not have the proper documentation. It is common to hear of women who eventually returned to work without receiving their maternity benefits.
The Federation calls on Minister of Employment and Labour, Nomakhosazana Meth, to ensure the glitches preventing the uFiling platform from running smoothly, are attended to and fixed immediately, enabling both workers and employers to submit claims and declarations seamlessly. Within the UIF, officials should encounter no hurdles when processing the various documents, particularly when processing workers’ payments.
Workers contributions to the UIF are drawn from hard-earned money, it is grossly unfair that they are unable to access their benefits when they need them the most. COSATU calls on Minister Meth to ensure claimants are paid what is due to them, on time, every time.
Issued by COSATU
Zanele Sabela (COSATU National Spokesperson)
Mobile: 079 287 5788 / 077 600 6639
Email: zaneles@cosatu.org.za
