Cape Town - Labour brokers are "human traffickers"
who are making huge profits by hiring out workers as though they are
commodities, Cosatu said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Patrick Craven said in the federation's
Workers' Day statement that labour brokers were exploiting workers as
businesses raked in "more profits than ever".
"Cosatu demands that labour brokers must be completely
banned," Craven said.
"They are nothing more than human traffickers, making
huge profits by hiring out workers to their client companies as if we are no
more than commodities like office furniture or stationery."
Craven said more than 30% of the work force had been
"casualised".
He said the government and the ruling African National
Congress still insisted that there should be a role for the labour brokers for
the six months of employment but for the Congress of SA Trade Unions "this
was six months too long".
Some gains had been made in the talks with the ANC. These included
equal pay for work of equal value and workers being made permanent after six
months.