COSATU and UIF are gunning for companies who failed to pay workers their Covid-19 UIF relief funds.
On Wednesday, 29 November, they launched the Thusa Babereki digital initiative at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni.
Cosatu's Gauteng chairman Amos Monyela said they will leave no stone unturned in verifying Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) funds paid to companies.
Monyela said the programme is a result of the TERS that they agreed upon aimed for workers to benefit from UIF.
“At that point when it was implemented, there were some employers I may call them unscrupulous employers who benefited out of their money that was not destined for them.
Cosatu Gauteng Provincial Chairman, Amos Monyela, talks about the launch of Thusa Babereki's digital initiative. Video by Happy Mnguni#cosatu #ThusaBabereki pic.twitter.com/9f1G606Epv
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“Some of them gave employees out of their money which they received from UIF. Some of them gave them half their money, and some of them have not given them their money. So, it is so painful that other employees are currently paying for their loads of the money that was applied on their behalf and was given to employers too by UIF,” said Monyela.
He said the sectors primarily affected by this corruption include retail, cleaning, security, and paper and chemical industries.
Monyela said Cosatu and the UIF started this process in 2022, engaging one modality up until today.
Sphamandla Gumede from UIF highlighted that the system would allow employees linked to Cosatu to check benefits received during the Covid-19 lockdown and report discrepancies.
“You can be able to do follow-ups with those employers, and also for employers to be assisted to pay back the money or to be assisted through the enforcement process if they are not paying as per the requirement since the Covid lockdown," said Gumede.
