The Department of Employment and Labour has warned employers against the continued practice of confining workers under high and locked gates, saying the practice exposes workers to hazardous conditions.

Department of Employment and Labour Acting Chief Director of Statutory and Advocacy Services, Advocate Michael Msiza, said the conduct of exposing workers to fatal situations cannot be tolerated.

Msiza was responding following this week's joint inter-departmental inspection blitz conducted at Mandeni's Isithebe Industrial Estate of the clothing and textile factories. Msiza said it is illegal to install steel doors and lock workers inside the factory.

“It is illegal to lock people in behind high walls and locked gates, as this may pose serious health and safety issues. Workers have a right to freedom of movement both inside and outside the premises," he said.

The Department of Employment and Labour embarked on a three-day inspection blitz in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs, the South African Police Service, and the Mandeni Municipality, in which force had to be used to open some of the inspected factories.

The latest factory to be found locked during a departmental inspection yesterday (Thursday) was the Rongshou Clothing, in which the factory manager had locked workers inside and had to be forced to open the premises.

“One can assume that this conduct highlights a serious level of concealment and illegality happening inside. Sealing a factory on its own is tantamount to non-compliance," Msiza cautioned.

He said the recent trial of seven Chinese nationals sentenced to 20 years for human trafficking and child labour had also exposed horror practices that take place behind high walls and locked gates in the workplace.

During the inspection blitz at Rongshou Clothing, eight illegal immigrants from Mozambique and Malawi were arrested. The factory had an ablution facility not suited for human use and posed health, safety, and dignity risks. Workers were paid R5 per hour – way below the current statutory R28,79 per ordinary hour worked. There was also non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, non-compliance with firefighting regulations.

The objective of this week's inspections was to measure and test the level of compliance with labour-law legislation, including the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act, and Employment Services Act, the National Minimum Wages Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, and Employment Services Act.  

For media enquiries, please contact:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson

082 697 0694/ teboho.thejane@labour.gov.za

-ENDS-

Issued by: Department of Employment and Labour

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