We, the South African Public, demand that the minister of Employment and Labour, together with Parliament enact legislation to prohibit businesses, both in the private and public sector from retrenching  members of their workforce during the lockdown period, and to render all such dismissals unlawful.

At present, workers are denied any statutory relief from losing their employment during this period as the CCMA and Labour Courts remain closed. 

The need to retrench is rendered redundant by the Covid 19 TERS initiative implemented by Government, and offered to companies who cannot afford to pay there employees, who have in any event, placed many of their staff on unpaid leave- the company's wage bill is thus not adversely impacted under these circumstances.