South Africa dealing with 'non-compliant' Pakistani and Chinese stores
Minister of Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth says her department is stepping up efforts to enforce labour laws
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Minister of Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth says her department is stepping up efforts to enforce labour laws among foreign-owned businesses and protect South African workers.
The Minister revealed this in a parliamentary reply to uMkhonto we Sizwe MP Nokwethemba Mtshweni, who had asked what the government was doing to address "non-compliance by Pakistani and Chinese-owned businesses".
Mtshweni also asked what measures the government was taking to address the employment of undocumented foreign workers who are paid below the national minimum wage, particularly in the trucking and logistics sectors.
Meth said her department conducts high-impact inspections in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs to enforce both labour and immigration laws, adding that employers who continue to violate regulations face enforcement notices and, where necessary, prosecution.
"The Department of Employment and Labour continues to monitor compliance levels through inspections and has embarked on High Impact integrated Blitz Inspections to deal with stores owned by the Chinese and Pakistanis that do not comply with labour and employment laws." Meth said.
"Where noncompliance is detected, various enforcement notices are issued. Where there would still be noncompliance after notices had expired, such workplaces are referred for prosecution".
Meth added that the department also targets employers who exploit undocumented foreign workers by paying below the national minimum wage.
"The Department has enforced against non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage in its proactive, reactive and High Impact Inspections models and has done so to curb non-compliance by the employers who employ undocumented foreign nationals to evade compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act, among other labour laws. This applies to employers in all sectors, including the transport sector," she added.
"In their nature, High Impact Blitz Inspections are conducted with social partners such as the Department of Home Affairs. They therefore enforce on matters of employing undocumented foreign nationals through the Immigration Act".
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