SA lockdown Level 4: back to work
- Dynamix HR Solutions
- Mar 8, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 29, 2021
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement on Friday evening regarding the risk-adjusted migration from level 5 to level 4 come 1 May has been largely welcomed, none more so than by the 1,5 million people who will by returning to work on International Labour Day in an attempt to reignite South Africa’s fragile economy.
It will, of course, not be ‘business as usual’ from the 1 May. Employees will return to their places of work which will look and feel very different from the workplaces they left on the 27 March. The Occupational Health and Safety Act prescribes that employers provide safe, healthy and environmentally sound workplaces for their employees. Never before will this seemingly obvious commitment be scrutinized and put to the test.
Employers will need to ensure their workplaces meet the stringent criteria required by the Department of Employment and Labour, and will need to ensure that strict health and safety protocols are rigorously enforced. The screening of employees, on a daily basis, on entering the workplace will be mandatory, as will the wearing of masks and the adhering to strict social distancing protocols. Employees over the age of 60 will, however, be encouraged to remain at home and, if possible, work from home.
Individual workplaces will be required to have comprehensive risk assessment and risk plans in place, and workplaces where more than 500 workers are employed will be required to conduct mass Covid-19 testing.
The Government on Saturday outlined which industries will be allowed to return to work on Friday as part of this ‘phased’ lifting of the lockdown.
In a media briefing on Saturday 25 April, Minister of Trade and Industries Ebrahim Patel said that a number of factors had been take into consideration when compiling the list of businesses that were considered, namely:
Risk of transmission
The economic impact of the continued closure of a particular sector
The broader contribution of a sector to the economy
The socio-economic importance of the sector
"The focus of this phase is the restarting of the economy" he said. "We estimate that it will allow an additional 1.5 million workers to return to work. This means that around four of ten workers (40%) will be able to make their way back to work as part of this phased process."
He outlined the businesses that will be allowed to return to work and the restrictions that would apply to them.
Wholesale and retail
More stores would be allowed to open under the new restrictions. The following items may be sold by South African retailers:
Food, hygienic, cleaning, protective & baby care, stationery
Winter clothing, bedding, and heating
Personal ICT equipment (home office equipment and mobile phones)
Medical supplies
Fuel and gas
Hardware supplies for qualified tradespersons for essential services
Components for vehicles for essential workers
Chemicals and packaging
Manufacturing
The following workers may return based on the following restrictions:
100% of workers related to the manufacturing of Level 4 products and paper
50% of workers related to the manufacturing of stationery, cement and construction
50% of workers related to the manufacturing of automotive equipment
100% of workers related to the production of fuel and refineries
50% of workers related to the manufacturing of winter clothing and bedding
20% of all other manufacturing
Transport and Logistics
Cargo for domestic and neighbouring transport, with the prioritisation given to Level 4 goods
E-hailing
Limited public transport
Media
Online services and live streaming
Newspapers and broadcasting
Services
Vehicle recovery
Emergency car repairs
Emergency repair work (plumbers, electricians, etc.)
Information
All ICT workers
All workers related to the sale of ICT equipment and airtime
Postal and courier services for medical and other Level 4 products
Agriculture
All workers will be allowed to return subject to social distancing rules. This includes:
Food, livestock and farming producers
Essential fishing operations
Harvesting
Forestry
Mining
100% of workers will be allowed to return where they are responsible for coal production for Eskom
100% of workers can return where they work with open-cast mining
50% of other workers may return
Construction
All civil engineers can return where they are responsible for public works projects
All civil engineers can return where they are responsible for emergency repairs
Accommodation and food service
Accommodation used for quarantine purposes may be open
Food delivery is allowed (subject to curfew).
Domestic support
Live-in staff and support for Level 4 personnel
Health
All social workers
Funeral and cremation services
Vet and medical services
Sanitation and pest control services
50% of recycling workers
Finance and business
If possible, these workers should work from home
Supporting Level 4 services (such as car rental)
Private security
Call centers
Essential financial services
Payroll-related workers
The Minister went to pains to add that the foregoing was simply the framework for the opening up of certain sectors on Friday, and that specific details, effectively fleshing out the framework would follow. The system would need to be ‘stress tested’ and further announcements would be made in due course.
Be safe, be healthy, and be careful out there.
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Website: dynamixhrsolutions.com
Email: kevin@dynamixhrsolutions.com
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