This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
Cape Argus reports that the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) in the Western Cape has confirmed that several construction sites in the Southern Cape have been closed as a result of a blitz conducted last week.
Between 100 and 150 construction sites were visited by the department since 20 May. This was in response to the devastating collapse of a partially-built five-story building in George on 6 May. Sixty-two people were on the site at the time of the incident and thirty-four people died. The exact figures of how many construction sites were closed last week will be released this week. One construction site was closed due to a violation in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. DEL Provincial Chief Inspector David Esau said on Friday: “We are still in the process of concluding the project of this week in the Southern Cape. What we have uncovered is especially the issue around (illegal) foreigners in the construction sector and so we wanted to check, because the example, based on the George collapse has indicated to us that quite a number of (illegal) foreigners are working on the construction site and that’s the reason why we wanted to see if the other construction sites comply or not comply with the issue of migration. And then obviously the safety conditions on the construction site.” He added: “It is not within our mandate to have people arrested. It’s in our mandate to hand the documents or copies of permits and passports over to Home Affairs who will then do the verification and go forward with any arrests should they find anyone.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Shakirah Thebus at Cape Argus
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page