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A week-long inspection blitz by the Department of Employment and Labour has found that almost half of employers in the Private Security Sector were failing to comply with labour legislation – thus subjecting workers to exploitation.  

Zoleka Ntshoza, Department of Employment and Labour's Deputy Director for Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations said of the 55 companies inspected only 23 were found to have complied with the implementation of labour laws.

These relate to the implementation of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act, the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Act, and Sectoral Determination. The blitz was conducted between19-23 August 2019.

The inspectors found that 14 employers were found to have contravened the UIF Act by not declaring their employees to the Fund as required. A total of 15 employers were failing to comply with the provisions of the Sectoral Determination which regulates minimum wages and conditions of employment. Seven employers were found not to be complying with the National Minimum Wage Act.

Other issues of non-compliance relate to failure by employers to enter into proper agreements with employees, and issues of decent work (relating to non-issuing of payslips, failure to pay annual bonuses).

“We have issued a number of compliance orders. We intend to make follow-up inspections soon. We have given the employers 14 days to comply. In the case of failure to comply, we will issue confirmatory notices, and after that we are no longer going to be engaging with the employers. We will take the employers directly to the CCMA," said Ntshoza.

She was unveiling the outcome of the blitz inspections during the Private Security Seminar organised by the Department of Employment and Labour's Inspections and Enforcement Services (IES) at Ehlanzeni Municipal Offices in Mbombela (Nelspruit) today. The theme of the seminar was: “Paying the National Minimum Wage (NMW) is the right thing to do".

The seminar was attended by private security industry stakeholders such as employer organisations, labour, employers and regulatory body. It is part of the Department of Employment and Labour's national advocacy campaign to build working relations with all relevant stakeholders in the labour market to promote sound labour relations and increase level of compliance.

The IES Branch has identified Private Security which is the most vulnerable sector as problematic following a number of complaints lodged at labour centre offices.

A disturbing outcome of the blitz was the uncovering of some R432 187,00 of monies that was owed to employees due to underpayment and non-payment of annual bonuses.

Ntshoza said the Department would institute a number of interventions to improve compliance. She said some of the measures will include conducting continuous advocacy sessions with the private security sector. She said the Department would continue to foster closer working relations with relevant stakeholders in the sector such as the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, the Private Security Pension Fund, employer organisations and labour.

Some of the initiatives would include embarking on outreach programmes, she said.

For more information contact:

Department of Employment and Labour's Deputy Director Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations

Zoleka Ntshoza

082 794 0011

-ENDS-

Issued by:

Makhosonke Buthelezi

Acting Departmental Spokesperson

071 491 7236

Makhosonke.buthelezi@labour.gov.za

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