WATCH | Compensation fund to be set up for workers during SA's Covid-19 lockdown

we are going to support people whose livelihoods will be affected adversely we're in consultation on a proposal for a special dispensation for companies that are in distress because of covert 19 through this proposal employees will receive wage payment through temporary employee relief scheme quarters which will enable companies to pay employees

directly during this period and avoid retrenchment any employee who falls ill through exposure at their workplace will be paid through the compensation fund commercial banks have been exempted from provisions of the Competition Act to enable them to develop common approaches to debt relief and other necessary measures we have met with all major banks and expect that most banks will

put measures in place within the next few days many large companies that are currently closed have accepted their responsibility to pay workers that are affected we call on large businesses in particular to take care of their workers during this testing period in the event that it becomes necessary we will utilize reserves within the unemployment

insurance fund system to extend support to those workers in SMEs and other vulnerable firms who are faced with loss of income and whose companies are unable to provide support details of these will be made available within the next few days thirdly we are assisting businesses that may be in distress using the text system we will provide a

text subsidy of up to 500 rand per month for the next four months for those private-sector employees earning between 6500 under the employee tax incentive this will help over four million workers in our country