Inside this issue...

-    Blitz inspections on the hospitality sector
-    All men are equal…

Dear reader,

Christel is taking a well-deserved holiday this week, so I’m standing in for her this time. Just before she left, she passed on a very interesting piece of information about foreigners working in South Africa, and the Department of Labour’s new measures to ensure they’re receiving the rights they deserve with regard to health and safety…

Blitz inspections on the hospitality sector

Jimmy Manyi, DG of the Department of Labour, has stated there’s a disturbing trend in the hospitality industry. Employers are hiring foreigners over local labour, and they’re treating these foreign workers abusively! What’s worse, because these workers often don’t have legitimate work permits, they don’t report this behaviour.

"Virtually every restaurant in town has employed a foreigner," DG Manyi said.

He went on to say that the department will focus on the hospitality sector in a series of "blitz" inspections this year, similar to those it imposed last year on the construction industry. He also said that if a business fails to comply, the Department of Labour will issue a compliance notice. If the business then fails to adhere to this, the company will face the Labour Court and will be closed down if it still doesn’t comply! 

All men are equal…

…and in health and safety this is especially so. So, if you’ve employed someone who’s originally from another country, this does NOT give you carte blanche to treat him badly, and without the fundamental rights everyone deserves.

Now that I’ve had my chance on my soapbox, I’m sure you’ll be happy to see Christel in the driver’s seat again next week. 

Stay safe,
Nadia Smith-Pisanti
Managing editor: Health and Safety Advisor Handbook