Employment and Labour Deputy Minister, Jomo Sibiya, told inspectors today (Friday) that the department was working on bringing more labour-related cases before the Courts to deal with disregard for the law.

Sibiya said: “Labour laws should be amended and given a bite". He said the issuing of notices and fines was a matter that needed to be relooked at. He said some employers continue to act brazenly and budget to pay fines.

He said the recent prosecution of the seven Chinese nationals found guilty of human trafficking and child labour was a game-changer in the inspection and enforcement of labour laws in the labour market.

The seven Chinese nationals - Kevin Tsao Shu-Uei, Chen Hui, Qin Li, Jiaqing Zhou, Ma Biao, Dai Junying, and Zhang Zhilian were recently sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The accused were facing schedule six offences.

The accused were found guilty of failure to register with the Compensation Fund and declaring their operations; failure to keep records of their earnings; failure to submit their return on earnings; failure to pay and declare assessments; failure to maintain a safe workplace; failure to report incidents; failure to register and declare with Unemployment Insurance Fund Commissioner; guilty of human trafficking; guilty of aiding/facilitating human trafficking; bondage; benefiting from victims of human trafficking; assisting illegals to remain in South Africa.

The accused were arrested on 12 November 2019 in a joint operation carried out at their enterprise called Beautiful City Pty Ltd, based at Village Deep in Johannesburg. The joint inspection blitz was carried out by the Department of Employment and Labour's Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch together with the South African Police Service (SAPS)/Hawks Unit and the Department of Home Affairs, following a tip-off. The joint operation uncovered illegal immigrants, some of whom were minors working under horrific conditions and kept in the locked premises of Beautiful City. The factory produced cotton fibre sheets.

“Following the outcome of the trial, we now know that if you break labour laws, you can be sent to jail," Sibiya reiterated. Sibiya said the Department/Ministry was in talks with the Justice Ministry/Department to assist in bringing more labour cases before the Courts.

Sibiya was delivering a closing address during the meeting of Gauteng Province inspectors to discuss the department's Inspection and Enforcement Services branch strategy. The two-day meeting held at Cedar Woods hotel and conference centre formed part of the branch's national roadshow to fine-tune its strategy and to relook how the branch positions itself in the ever-changing, technologically driven labour market.

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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