The protest is on.
Dozens of workers are outside the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) provincial offices in Cape Town protesting.
The demonstrators were union members and workers from various sectors.
According to National Union for Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), the protest is as a result of non-payments of UIF from the Temporary Employee/Employer Relief Scheme (TERS).
TERS was created to come to the aid of workers affected by the Covid-19 lockdown.
The angry workers claimed that the government had refused to pay UIF for months.
The demonstrators were seen singing and holding placards which read:
‘Stop stealing from workers’ and ‘We demand workers money’.
According to Numsa spokesperson, Vuyo Lufele, the fund allocated to workers have not been disbursed.
“Workers have been waiting for this money for many months. Some have not been paid since April. When we go to employers, they say they have submitted everything.”
“We have realised very late that the problem is with the UIF administration.”
A man who works for a plastics company in Nyanga said he had not received any payment since March.
“We know that we are doing millions for these companies, but when we are in a crisis like that the company is not doing anything for us.”
