Watch: viral video shows Steers fast-food staff forced to perform gardening duties

A VIRAL video showing Steers fast-food employees performing gardening duties instead of their kitchen roles has sparked outrage.

The South African Workers Union leader intervened, claiming the practice violated labour laws, while Steers has launched an investigation into the incident at their Menlo Park, Pretoria outlet.

The footage has been widely circulated on social media, prompting debates about the dignity of labour and the responsibilities of employers towards their staff.

It shows Steers workers trimming trees, pruning plants, gathering leaves, and clearing walkways along the restaurant’s sidewalk and garden area.

The video was recorded by South African Workers Union Ya Bashumi (SAWU) leader Lebusa Mamaregane.

Mamaregane said he became concerned when he noticed staff members, whom he identified as kitchen employees, carrying out duties he believed fell outside their job descriptions.

"It has come to our attention that workers at Steers are being forced to perform garden work and other unrelated duties during periods when the outlet is not busy. This practice constitutes a direct violation of their employment contracts," said Mamaregane.

In the video, Mamaregane is seen confronting the workers and questioning why they were engaged in manual outdoor labour. He asks where their supervisor is and goes looking for him.

He is then seen having a conversation with the supervisor, where he is heard telling Mamaregane that he had no authority to instruct or question the workers.

The situation escalated when Mamaregane took shovels from the employees and threw them across the road, accusing management of abusing workers.

“That’s nonsense. You are abusing these workers. That is abuse of workers. This brother is a chef. He must work as a chef. He is not a gardener,” Mamaregane said.

The supervisor, who is heard responding in the video and is reportedly Zimbabwean, pushed back against Mamaregane’s actions, saying: “You are wrong. There is a procedure to follow.”

Following the incident, Mamaregane defended his actions, and said his intervention was motivated by concerns over worker dignity, safety, and possible violations of South Africa’s labour laws.

“This is a Steers supervisor who is allegedly abusing workers and openly boasting about his position and background. The issue at hand is not nationality, but workplace exploitation, abuse of power, and the violation of workers’ dignity.”

He stressed that labour protections applied equally to all workers, regardless of their country of origin.

“No worker should be mistreated, intimidated, or exploited under any circumstances. Employment in South Africa is governed by labour laws that apply equally to everyone, regardless of origin.”

Mamaregane added that SAWU would formally pursue the matter.

“We will pursue this matter through the correct channels and allow due process to take its course. Abuse in the workplace will not be normalised or tolerated. The South African Workers Union Ya Bashumi will be a necessary irritant to all employers who enjoy abuse.”

After the video gained traction online, Steers South Africa issued public responses on X (formerly Twitter), distancing the company from the conduct shown in the footage and confirming that an investigation was under way.

The POST