Labourers strike against broking

Pinetown - Ceppwawu members on Wednesday held three pickets in KwaZulu-Natal demanding the banning of labour brokers.

"We want the issue of labour brokers to be banned. Every worker deserves to be permanent at work. That is why we are protesting," said Ellias Dhlomo, secretary for the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu) in KwaZulu-Natal.

Speaking during a picket outside a rubber manufacturing plant in Pinetown, Dhlomo said the protests were part of the union's national campaign for the ban of labour brokers.

He said there was extensive evidence that many labour brokers exploited workers and breached their rights under labour legislation.

Ceppwawu members carried placards that read: "Ban labour brokers, create decent jobs. We want all labour brokers to be eradicated".

Dhlomo said protests were also taking place in Empangeni, Newcastle and Port Shepstone.

Ceppwawu is an affiliate of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) which is also against labour brokering.

Cosatu had called on the government to ban labour broking to curb exploitation of temporary workers.

- Sapa