BY SAFTU – this statement was first appeared on SAFTU – IN SUMMARY:
- SAFTU welcomes the Department of Employment and Labour’s recent raids on unethical employers.
- The raids, conducted from September 18-20, aimed to protect workers’ rights.
- SAFTU urges all unions to support these raids and ensure all laws are fully enforced across South Africa.The raids found serious violations of labour laws, including:
- Underpayment of salaries.
- Lack of compliance with health and safety regulations.
- Illegal deductions from workers’ wages.
- The raids focused on sectors in Gauteng, Western Cape, and KwaZulu Natal, with 49% of 2,681 sites found non-compliant.
- Employers were not following several laws: Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Unemployment Insurance Act, Employment Services Act, Occupational Health and Safety laws, and Emigration laws.
- SAFTU opposes xenophobia but also stands against the hiring of undocumented workers.
- SAFTU stresses that without law enforcement, labour laws are meaningless for workers.
- The raid is a positive step towards turning formal rights into real benefits for workers.
- SAFTU applauds the Department of Employment and Labour’s efforts and calls for even stronger actions to protect workers’ hard-won rights from profit-driven employers.
