As you all are aware that we had lockdown as a COVID 19 pandemic result.

Many companies asked for relief from government as they were loosing contracts.

 

Government did that thru COVID relief ,companies feather applied for premium exemption in 2021.workers were expected to get 239 but because of the exemption the continued to pay 175 that was 1st term only as per the agreement.the process went thru via bargaining council procedure.

In 2021 around October companies continued to ask to be helped with funds as a results Granuity was introduced were by both and workers were exempt from paying 7,5% provident fund contribution.this was for a period of one-year Oct 2021-oct 2022.

 

Before we could reach Oct 2020 bargaining council held sector negotiations.out of the negotiations they agreed that provident fund should remain 5% for 1st.

 

As workers we opposing the idea, workers just like companies lost thru all process of applying exemptions.each one of the workers lost at least 10000 to 20000 since 2021 Oct to Oct 2022.

Majority of workers never received so called premium since it was introduced.bargaining never investigated this.we will loose up to 40000 at the end of 2025 as according to current agreement we will be contributing 5% 1st yr and 6,5% 2nd yr.a worker that started working around 2020 will have no fund and owing tax as a result

We want bargaining council to reconsider on this issue and gazzete 7,5% for all years as it was.espcially now that they have cut premium.

We believe while companies recover from lockdown it shouldn't be at the expense of workers.most of people were changed as a result of COVID and lockdown.workers lodged cases with the bargaining council and cases were overlooked.companies no longer allow workers to work more than 17 shifts, some are changing contracts into learnership.out of the learnership workers receives a mere R4000 and not contributing towards provident fund.if one looses their job now they will have no benefits from the work the have doing.

 

We not sure if the so called bargaining council care about wellbeing of workers or their future.since it was introduced in 2018 they have not solved a single nor explain their status as when we gonna have inspectors.all they have been doing is accepting exemption and not taking cases from workers.

After 2018 negotiations things went from bad to worse on workers

2018 they gazzete a temporary agreement

2019 they couldn't reached agreement and end reaching agreement in 2020.out of the deadlock companies applied that the increase date be changed from September to march.and they did not backpay for the lost months(sept 2019-march2020)

In 2021 they applied for premium exemption

They also applied for uifters on behalf of workers ,most workers were claimed and never recieved such money, some their money was cut into Half's,sharing the money with illegal immigrants as they not registerd and the company itself

In 2022 they called for provident fund contribution to be lowered

 

We hope bargaining council find this in order and we wish they invistigate the uifters issue.we want to know how many security companies applied for the ters because security industry was hard work during lockdown.workers tried to call for part of their fund be released and were told such is not possible as we were working.we believe the issue of exemption in this industry is done without evidence just bcs employer is incharge of bargaining council

 

In conclusion please reinstate 7,5% provident fund contribution.