EXODUS PERMITTED BY PHASE 4 – COVID-19

The breaking news last night of certain sectors or job categories that will exodus Phase 5 of the COVID 19 Lockdown regulations, left us with a number of questions without clear answers.

Some answers can be found in the amended Disaster Management Act, 2002 Regulations issued in terms of section 27(2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (ACT) signed yesterday, 29 April 2020.

MISA will endeavour to keep you up to date with the latest developments as well as clear guidance on the implementation of the partial lift on the lockdown.

Automotive Aftermarket/Retail Motor Industry

The Act provides in the Alert Level 4 table inter alia, for the following operations to resume with effect from 1 May 2020:

• Automotive Manufacturing(C6)
• Wholesale and Retail trade of components for vehicles undergoing emergency repairs (E12)
• Car sales under specific directions (H6)
• Emergency Repair and related Emergency Services for all persons (L2)

The above begs the question of who are critically important to sustain and support inter alia, the emergency repair or service of vehicles; the selling of cars and components. Taking a leap into the unknown, it seems that service advising, booking of vehicles, financial support, warranty systems, licensing, etc., to name but a few, are all encompassed in the operation of selling, repairing or servicing of vehicles.

NOT business as usual

Specific measures must be adhered to, for instance, your employer must have a Phased-in Plan, specifically to regulate who will return to work, health protocols and a designated COVID-19 Compliance Officer to oversee the implementation thereof.

One very important factor to bear in mind is that the health of employees is the priority and that the recovery of our economy, very strongly relies on breaking the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are all, by default, social creatures and what’s better than sharing a moment in conversation, catching up on everything that happened the past 6 weeks; sharing a coffee or a smoke break. That is unfortunately the “normal” of the past. We are all tasked with the responsibility of keeping a safe distance that goes with changing the way we operate, changing the office lay-out, changing our habits and way of thinking.

Fairness

This is not to say that an Employer has the liberty to unilaterally decide through favouritism who will return to work. The decision of who will return, working shifts and operational requirements must all be linked to fairness and compliance.

That entails the consideration of the specific job category that is allowed to return to the place of work, the specific skill and knowledge required for that job category, the support needed for that specific job category and lastly but equally important, fairness!

You are not alone

MISA is your voice. We are not indifferent to the challenges that you, our members, are facing, specifically the exodus from phase 5 of the COVID 19 lockdown.  Contact MISA to assist you in getting the clarity you need.

How to contact MISA during the lockdown

Kindly utilise the following e-mail addresses and links for assistance during this time:
 

UIF/TERS Support                                            UIFClaim@ms.org.za

Legal/Labour-related enquiries                    Legal@ms.org.za

MISA Benefit claim-related enquiries          Claims@misa.org.za

Any other enquiries                                        Info@ms.org.za

Website                                                            www.misa.org.za

Mobile App                                                      https://onelink.to/w9a7ku

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