Inspection Reveals Poor Health, Safety Conditions At Most KZN Hospitality Workplaces

A large number of KwaZulu-Natal hospitality sector employers inspected last week were found to be compromising their workers’ health and safety in the workplace.

Of the 871 workplaces visited by Labour inspectors throughout the province, almost half of the law contraventions recorded related to conflicts with the Occupational Health and Safety Act – resulting in defaulters being served with 60-day notices to improve or face prosecution.

In some cases employers failed to produce certificates of compliance for electrical installations, others had no first aid programmes, while some had poor house-keeping with dirty, slippery or oily floors.

Although, it was found that almost 70%(623) of employers visited were in general compliance with labour legislation, written undertakings had to be secured from 176 employers for violating the basic conditions of employment as prescribed in the Hospitality Sectoral Determination. These included the non-adherence to the minimum wage prescribed for the sector, no proof of registration with the Compensation and Unemployment Insurance Funds, no written particulars of employment, payslips and attendance registers in place. In some instances, employers were found to be promoting the collection of tips or commission as a form of wages for workers and were also making illegal deductions from wages. A fast food chicken outlet in Winkelspruit  was ordered to pay back R12 024, 74 in outstanding wages to it’s employees within fourteen days for making illegal wage deductions for alleged chicken shortages.

Employers that have disregarded the minimum wage levels need to get their house in order or will find themselves in deeper waters as from 1 July 2008 when a 12.1 % new minimum wage increase for workers comes into effect. Establishments that employ 10 or less employees will be expected to pay R1659.08 per month or R8, 51 an hour and for those in establishments employing more than 10 employees, the minimum wage prescribed will be R1849, 65 per month or R9,48 an hour.