South Africa's Gauteng Chinese Business Community: Labour Department to Hold Compliance Advocacy Session on November 20, Deputy Minister and Chinese Ambassador to Speak
Chinese business owners in South Africa's Gauteng province are to get a labour-compliance advocacy session organised specifically for them: the Department of Employment and Labour announced on October 28 that its Inspection and Enforcement Services branch will host the session for the Chinese business community on November 20, from 09:00 to 13:00, at the Premier Hotel OR Tambo in Kempton Park, covering compliance with employment, labour and immigration legislation.
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya and Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng partnered on the initiative and will both speak at the session. The department listed the issues the session will address: low wages and non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage; absence of written contracts and unfair dismissals; long working hours without overtime pay; lack of paid sick leave and annual leave; poor working and sanitation facilities; lack of protective equipment and health-and-safety measures; workplace injuries without access to compensation; and lack of awareness of Unemployment Insurance benefits.
The announcement also cited more serious problems: exploitation of foreign nationals and undocumented workers, victimisation of workers who report violations, and sexual harassment and gender-based violence in the workplace.
Expected outcomes include better awareness of labour legislation among employers, formalisation of unregistered workers into the Unemployment Insurance Fund and Compensation Fund systems, stronger multi-departmental coordination, faster responses to worker grievances, stronger trust in government institutions, improved compliance among Chinese business employers, and non-employment of undocumented labour migrants.
The departmental spokesperson is Teboho Thejane. According to the department, the advocacy session forms part of its inspection and enforcement outreach to specific business communities, aimed at raising compliance awareness.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：约翰内斯堡 Cyrildene 华人区的牌坊，豪登省华人聚居区的地标。照片：Sobaka，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: The paifang in Cyrildene, Johannesburg's Chinese quarter in Gauteng. Photo: Sobaka, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
