Labour Department limits contact services to curb Covid-19

The Department of Labour has refuted allegations that employees at its offices in the city downed tools last week due to a shortage of safety gear such as masks and gloves.
Departmental spokesperson Lerato Mashamba last Thursday said it was business as usual but that officials were limiting contact with clients as a precautionary measure.
Mashamba emphasised that as part of safety measures to minimise the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19), the department had suspended services such as inspection enforcement which requires contact with members of the public. Inspectors are no longer visiting workplaces to conduct inspections and follow-ups are done electronically instead.
Clients are urged to utilise the department’s online services to access their unemployment insurance fund (UIF) benefits, Mashamba explained and added that enquiry and application boxes would be placed outside their offices for clients who need to submit documentation.
“The large scale group counselling has been suspended. All normal work-seeker registration services are suspended and registrations are to be done online. All clients visiting our offices should complete a register that includes their identity number, physical address and cell numbers to allow us to contact or trace them in case of exposure to the virus.
We want to urge clients not to flock to our offices in large numbers and follow the instructions as given by the President of South Africa to protect themselves from the virus by taking the necessary precautionary measures. Where possible, they must make use of the available avenues to get access to our services,” Mashamba stated and concluded by saying clients can contact the department for enquiries or call the UIF toll free number 0800 843 843.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za