The Department of Labour wishes to warn the public to be on alert of bogus ‘placement agents’ or so-called companies that claim to offer employment to job seekers and later claim a fee for placement.
The Department of Labour said today the scam was seemingly spreading with scammers growing their activities taking advantage of the biting unemployment in the country.
Thembinkosi Mkalipi Chief Director, Collective Bargaining at Department of Labour said no prospective employer can demand payment for job offered.
Mkalipi advised members of public who encounter requests for money in exchange for a job to contact their closest Labour Centre offices and lay a complaint.
Nowhere in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act is provision for a job seeker to pay before being offered a job.
The Department has an infrastructure network of 421 service points spread across South Africa. These include 126 labour centres, 31 satellite offices, 19 mobile offices, 153 visiting points, and also services provided in the 45 Thusong service centres.
It uses this infrastructure to deliver on its core business of public employment services and inspection and enforcement services.
The Department wishes to point out that in some instances these placement agents claim to be representing companies and when their credential are being verified with the said companies they claim they do not know of them.
Some of the ‘scamsters’ have brazenly gone to the Department’s offices requesting to be urgently furnished with its job seekers database. In some instances they scammers use media especially radio stations to peddle their lies.
The Department of Labour uses its own Employment Services System of South Africa (ESSA), an initiative it uses to drive job creation. ESSA is a system that links job seekers with potential employers and is available at all Labour Centers across the country for free.
The Department of Labour wishes to caution its offices to be vigilant of the so called ‘employers’ or agents who will request to be furnished with its database urgently.
Enquiries:
Page Boikanyo
Cell: 082 809 3195
