On Wednesday, some employers were also arrested for violation of various labour laws and labour exploitation.“We discovered a lot of violations, companies which are not complying, having foreign national or having foreign drivers which are not legal and those are the issues we are going to take up. But also we have seen that there are also workers who have not been registered by this freight industry or the trucking industry. They do not have any UIF, no compensation fund.
“If the government can make harsher sentences, like taking the operating licences of the businesses that employ undocumented foreigners, because if they just give the fine, these employers budget for those fines. It is within their budget. So, we feel that we must impose harsher sentences against those who are seen in contravention of the law,” says Congress of South African Trade Unions ‘Kopano Konopi.
Food and Allied Workers Union shop-steward Patrick Moleko says unions often raise concerns when there is non-adhere to legislation, and they should therefore not be barred from workplaces. “We raise our concerns, whenever we have concerns with the management. We do make time to sit down and see how we can resolve those issues.”