Pretoria - The labour department's inspectors may soon be
authorised to enforce compliance orders among labour brokers, as part of
proposed amendments to the country's labour laws, an official said on
Monday.
The amendments to the Labour Relations Act and Basic
Conditions of Employment Act aimed to curb the "shirking" of
responsibility to workers hired by labour brokers, said labour market
policy chief director Thembinkosi Mkhalipi.
"A worker will (now) have a right to make both the
temporary employment services (commonly known as labour brokers) and its
client (the company) liable for any accusations of abusive practices
the worker may bring," he said on the sidelines of a public briefing
session in Bloemfontein.
Mkhalipi said under the amendments, labour brokers
would not be allowed to employ a worker on terms and conditions not
permitted by the labour legislation.
If approved by parliament, inspectors could also use
their discretion when issuing written undertakings, which would be
enforceable without the inspector issuing a compliance order should the
employer fail to comply.
Mkhalipi said the labour department submitted the
proposed changes to the speaker of parliament two weeks ago, and they
would soon be debated.