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The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has recently launched a new call center to provide much-needed assistance to workers facing labour-related challenges. This dedicated resource aims to offer support, information, and guidance to both members of COSATU-affiliated unions and unorganized workers, ensuring that they have a place to turn for help with workplace issues.

COSATU welcomes the Minister for Employment and Labour’s announcement of the first 10 000 additional Labour Inspectors

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the Minister for Employment and Labour’s announcement of the first 10 000 additional labour inspectors of a planned 20 000 over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework with the advertisement for applications placed this weekend.

This will be a powerful boost to the current 2 000 labour inspectors who are woefully overwhelmed to ensure compliance in an economy with 16 million workers. 

The recruitment of these 10 000 and later 20 000 inspectors over a two-year period provides a pathway for these young graduates to acquire the skills, training and experience needed to find permanent employment in the labour market upon completing their contracts.  We are pleased that participants in this programme will be paid above the National Minimum Wage.

It is critical the Department use this period to source funds to ensure this additional capacity is permanently retained and the number of full-time labour inspectors is integrated within the Department as we seek to boost compliance with our labour laws across all economic sectors.

COSATU and workers have struggled over many decades to put in place our progressive labour laws and ensure that workers are protected from shameful abuse and exploitation and that the values of decent work and fair labour practises are enjoyed by all, in particular vulnerable workers.  We are deeply concerned by the large number of employers who continue to ignore our labour laws and undermine workers’ rights.  As the Department brings on board these new inspectors, it is critical that workplace inspections are ramped up and delinquent employers dealt with.

Treasury needs to ensure all companies doing business with the state abide by our labour laws as per the Public Procurement and Employment Equity Act’s requirements for compliance certificates to this effect.

The Federation will continue to work closely with the Department to boost compliance with our labour laws and to protect the rights of all workers.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks(Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za