The past few weeks have been some of the toughest our industry has had to endure and we are inundated daily with calls from our members, as well as members of the public trying to get advice on how to deal with regulations which are really ill defined.
The only clear advice we are able to give is that if you deem the work you need to carry out of an emergency or critical nature then you should apply for a permit and carry on with it. However, take care not to overstep the boundaries of what can be constituted as critical and not able to wait for 21 days (as outlined in the regulations).
For completeness, below are the relevant websites and the application portal which you will need to access to apply for an essential services permit and the relevant Form 2:
New changes to South Africa's coronavirus employee relief scheme and annual leave
BusinessTech - 4 May 2020
The Department of Labour has published a new directive clarifying a number of issues around the Covid-19 Temporary Employee / Employer Relief Scheme (TERS).
The TERS applies to employers who are 'facing distress, on lockdown and unable to pay salaries due to the lockdown'. It is one of the key ways that the government is helping distressed workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the biggest amendments in the
gazettepublished on Monday (4 May) relates to annual leave and how it impacts TERS claims.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases aims to give you relevant and helpful information concerning COVID-19. Their website provides you with answers to some of the most common questions; what to do if you have been in close contact with a COVID-19 infected person? What to do when you think you have COVID-19? What you should do when you have tested positive for COVID-19? To learn more about these questions click here.
Unfortunately, the UIF/TERS process has, in many instances failed the citizens of South Africa and as of today, it is reported that over 50% of UIF/TERS claims are still to be paid out. Given that we are already a week into the month of May, this means that many people have yet to receive money to put bread on their tables. This is a really dire situation and one that we are sadly unable to assist with in any meaningful way. We have, today, put out a survey to establish the status of the claims which have been submitted by our members and hope to be able to share some information with you in the event that you may have still been unsuccessful. If you have not yet seen the survey, please see the link below.
Please also note that UIF/TERS submissions for May 2020 have not yet opened. These will have to be done directly with UIF/TERS at
https://uifecc.labour.gov.za/covid19
We will inform you when the site has opened for May.
The BIBC have put together some information which they had come across to try and assist members to navigate the system. Please click on the link below in order to access this information.
Covid-19 impact on construction sector will be 'catastrophic'
Industry Insight estimates that up to 140 000 formal jobs could be lost as activity levels nosedive.
The impact of the coronavirus on the construction sector will be catastrophic, unlike any economic shock the sector has previously had to endure, and result in it shedding an estimated 120 000 to 140 000 formal jobs, according to construction market intelligence firm Industry Insight.
David Metelerkamp, senior economist at Industry Insight, said not only is the Covid-19 pandemic going to be the worst crisis since World War II, it is now widely expected to be the worst economic crisis/recession since the Great Depression of the late 1920s.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases aims to give you relevant and helpful information concerning COVID-19. Their website provides you with answers to some of the most common questions; what to do if you have been in close contact with a COVID-19 infected person? What to do when you think you have COVID-19? What you should do when you have tested positive for COVID-19? To learn more about these questions click 
The impact of the coronavirus on the construction sector will be catastrophic, unlike any economic shock the sector has previously had to endure, and result in it shedding an estimated 120 000 to 140 000 formal jobs, according to construction market intelligence firm Industry Insight.