By Thapelo Molefe
The Employment and Labour Department has launched a massive four-day inspection blitz targeting restaurants across South Africa, following reports of exploitation in the hospitality sector.
The department said the operation, which started on Tuesday, aimed to root out non- compliance with labour laws and ensure a safe working environment for employees in the sector.
“As part of our work we normally conduct both proactive inspections and reactive inspections. In our strategy we have identified both problematic and high-risk sectors as a matter of focus,” said Milly Ruiters, the department’s chief inspector for occupational health and safety.
Ruiters said a multi-disciplinary team of 1,984 inspectors, joined by the South African Police Service, Home Affairs Department and members of the hospitality bargaining council would conduct the inspections.
She said that they would focus on six key areas:
Basic Conditions of Employment Act
Occupational Health and Safety
Unemployment Insurance Act
Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act
Employment Services Act
National Minimum Wage Act
“There is nothing unique about the blitz, except that the restaurants in particular are becoming a problem sector,” Reuters said.
The inspections will assess the adherence of restaurants to these laws, ensuring fair labour practices, safe working conditions and compliance with minimum wage requirements.
She said reports from the inspections were expected to start coming in from Wednesday, providing valuable insights into the state of labour compliance in the restaurant industry.
On Monday, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth commended a joint inspection operation conducted at Babel Restaurant and Ocean Basket in Pretoria. The operation, led by acting director-general Viwe Mlenzana, involved the Home Affairs immigration department, the council and the Hawks.
The raid was sparked by a tip-off on social media about severe mistreatment and unfair labour practices at Babel Restaurant. Upon investigation, authorities found numerous violations of labour laws.
These included the Babel Restaurant allegedly owing cleaners R271,984.32 and waiters R295,547.28 due to underpayment, and waiters were allegedly paid solely on commission and tips, with some earning as little as R150 per shift.
Also, employees were working 12 to 15 hour shifts daily, violating daily and weekly rest periods.
Both restaurants failed to ensure compliance with gas installations and certificate of conformity.
The operation resulted in the arrest of four individuals, including two undocumented foreign nationals working at Babel, the employer and a Mr. Delivery worker collecting food at Ocean Basket.
Minister Meth condemned the exploitation of workers, emphasising that such practices would not be tolerated. She urged employees facing unfair labour practices to report incidents to their nearest labour centre
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