COVID-19 FACT SHEET #4: Towards a safer, more equitable opening of the economy (SUMMARY)

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) proposes a managed reopening of the South African economy that prioritizes worker safety, social equity, and state-led support. Key recommendations include democratizing workplace health protocols, expanding income support through a universal Basic Income Guarantee, increasing public health infrastructure in townships, and implementing a robust fiscal stimulus package to rescue and transform the economy.

• The IEJ recommends democratising the return to work by requiring that all health and safety agreements be signed by union or worker representatives and that government mandate COVID-19 health and safety compliance certificates. They suggest that failure to implement these protocols should be treated as a criminal offense and that workers' rights to refuse unsafe work be strengthened and enforced.
• To mitigate economic burdens on workers, the IEJ proposes implementing more equitable wage structures, adopting short-time work with state-covered wage losses, and moving toward a shorter working week. They specifically recommend a substantial wage premium for frontline workers and the extension of unemployment insurance to informal workers.
• The document outlines several income support proposals to address social vulnerability, including increasing the R350 special COVID-19 grant, considering a once-off 3-month universal grant of R4500, and replacing the special grant with a universal Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) after October. It also calls for the expansion of the TERS scheme beyond its planned August suspension.
• The IEJ suggests various public health and infrastructure improvements, such as the mass provision of ablution facilities in townships, the domestic manufacture of testing kits integrated into state industrial policy, and the potential conversion of private health facilities into public ones.
• Regarding the role of the state, the IEJ calls for a proportionate fiscal stimulus plan that reverses austerity measures and honours the President’s R500 billion rescue package. They also emphasize the need to investigate corruption and improve the administration of COVID-19 support packages.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2020). COVID-19 FACT SHEET #4: Towards a safer, more equitable opening of the economy (SUMMARY). https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IEJ-COVID-19-fact-sheet-4-%E2%80%93-recommendations-for-reopening-the-economy-2.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. COVID-19 FACT SHEET #4: Towards a safer, more equitable opening of the economy (SUMMARY). 2020. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IEJ-COVID-19-fact-sheet-4-%E2%80%93-recommendations-for-reopening-the-economy-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=COVID-19 FACT SHEET #4: Towards a safer, more equitable opening of the economy (SUMMARY) |date=23 July 2020 |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IEJ-COVID-19-fact-sheet-4-%E2%80%93-recommendations-for-reopening-the-economy-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforeconomicjustice2020covid19, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{COVID-19 FACT SHEET \#4: Towards a safer, more equitable opening of the economy (SUMMARY)}}, institution = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IEJ-COVID-19-fact-sheet-4-%E2%80%93-recommendations-for-reopening-the-economy-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }