Labour Law enforcement as top government priority
16 February 2009
Labour law enforcement throughout the countryâs workplaces has become one of
the governmentâs top priorities, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has
warned.
Addressing an Imbizo of domestic workers in Stellenbosch, Western Cape on
Sunday, Minister Mdladlana said a general feeling right across the labour
market spectrum had always been that law enforcement was in dire need of
tightening up to curb the rampant workplace injustices.
âWe have since responded by appointing, for the first time, a national chief
inspector who will be responsible for co-ordinating and professionalising
labour law inspectorate to ensure drastic increase in inspection visibility. We
have to demonstrate strong intolerance of each and every employer that refuses
to obey the law as we cannot have people turning our country into a banana
republic,â he said.
Minister Mdladlana stressed, however, that no amount of law enforcement
would be enough without the workers themselves, particularly in the domestic
sector, organising themselves through trade unions.
âThe best and most effective inspector on any given day is the worker him or
herself. If workers themselves do not understand their workplace rights and
obligations, complete law enforcement would always be impeded to some
extent.â
The one day Imbizo was preceded by a process whereby the hundreds of domestic
employees of the area made use of government facilities at their disposal to
register for various services, including Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and
for inclusion in the national job seekers database.
In a wide ranging interaction with the minister and his top management team,
workers and some employers posed a variety of questions aimed at helping them
understand the law and their responsibilities even better.
The Minister said he was pleased with improved labour relations in the
domestic sector where more than 700 000 domestic employers and some 663 000
workers have been registered with the department thus far.
The Minister will on Friday this week take his Imbizo campaign to the
Eastern Cape where the Mkhubiso Burnshill rural community in Keiskamahoek will
enjoy the same government services brought right at their doorstep.
Issued by: Department of Labour
16 February 2009
Source: Department of Labour (http://www.labour.gov.za/)
