Speaker, in order to avoid the exploitation of workers, ensure decent work for all workers and protect employment relations, last week the Department of Labour sent out inspectors to conduct inspections at shopping malls, targeting mainly restaurants, to ensure compliance with labour legislation by employers.
The planned inspections were triggered by the exploitation and casualisation of workers in the hospitality sector, as well as the existence of other irregularities relating to hours of work, payment for overtime and the maintenance of machinery used in restaurants.
The inspections took place in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The ANC supports this initiative and views it as in accordance with one of its key priority areas, namely decent work that embraces the need for more jobs and better quality jobs. Thank you, Speaker. [Applause.]