Hon Speaker, hon Ministers and hon members, I stand here to confirm that Cope will support this Bill. The reason why we will support this Bill is because it addresses some of the most feudal practices which are still found in the labour market in this country. These practices are not supposed to be taking place, but it is unfortunate that they are still being practised.
This Bill prohibits employers from demanding that the employees pay for being employed or agents demanding that people who have been given the job pay for getting it. It also prohibits an employer from forcing workers to purchase goods from him or anybody chosen by him. This practice is well known and it used to be normal on farms, where workers were forced to buy from the farmer's shop that was on the farm. It also used to happen at the mines, where there would be a Frasers outside the compound and workers were forced to buy from that particular shop. This practice should not be allowed to continue. That is the reason why we would support this Bill, because the Bill prohibits this type of practice.
This Bill also prohibits child labour. The Bill not only prohibits the employment of children below 15 years, but also puts the onus on the employer not to allow children who are under age to work. This prohibition allows exemption through the Minister because some children can be allowed to work, like those who are involved in adverts and acting. However, it would be through the Minister giving an exemption through the regulations the Minister is going to develop. Therefore, it is not to say that all children should not work, but it actually protects children from being exploited and being put at risk. This Bill gives teeth to the labour inspectors to enforce our labour laws. We should not pretend that all employers are law-abiding citizens, because some of them are real criminals. The labour inspectors are empowered by the Bill to protect vulnerable workers. They will then be able to enforce undertakings which are usually made by employers and then they don't do anything because there was no mechanism to enforce those particular undertakings. Therefore, the labour inspectors will now have teeth to bite.
The department will have to understand that even if we have the law, but the labour inspectors are not properly equipped to enforce that law, those who have no respect for our laws will continue to disrespect our laws. The department should ensure that the inspectorate is supported by being provided with the tools of the trade. The professionalisation of inspectors should be prioritised so that they can be effective and efficient.
Lastly, the Bill gives the Minister the power to publish sectoral determinations that should apply to employers and employees who are not covered by any other sectoral determination. This is right because there are certain workers who are not members of the union, who are more vulnerable. If the market is allowed to set the wages, these workers will always be super-exploited.
Cope also supports the increase of fines, but believes that these fines should be reviewed every five years. The Bill is aimed at protecting vulnerable workers and that's the reason why we support this Bill. [Applause.]