Cape Town - The Department of Employment and Labour (DEL) has set off on what will be a week-long mega blitz inspection targeting the hospitality sector in the Western Cape, but not without criticism.
The inspectorate is testing compliance with the national minimum wage, occupational health and safety, Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Unemployment Insurance Act for businesses such as hotels, bed-and-breakfast facilities, restaurants and backpackers in the province.
Provincial chief inspector David Esau said the Covid-19 pandemic had hindered this process over the past two years.
“It’s important for us to test compliance in the sector because it’s one of the highly vulnerable sectors that we have. They are not strongly unionised, and the type of work and the income means there are lots of opportunities for exploitation because of the low skills levels attached to this particular industry,” Esau said.
The inspectorate will be focusing its operations on the coastline, from Camps Bay to Bloubergstrand. It will also be operating in farming communities such as Paarl, Somerset West and the Overberg area.
“I foresee problems where a lot of people have converted their private houses into B&Bs, I deem it as a business because it is a registered business. Some of these new establishments are not clued up with Covid-19, and we might have problems with adhering to protocols, but we want to work with them because the industry has already hurt so much,” Esau said.
DEL has enlisted the assistance of the Department of Home Affairs and the SAPS, who will be available in the event that businesses refuse entry.
DA Community Safety spokesperson Reagan Allen has criticised the use of the SAPS, saying the national government was diverting essential crime fighting resources.
“Even though there are many factors that influence the levels of crime in a society, a lack of visible policing leaves our communities vulnerable.
“As we all know, the SAPS police-to-population ratio in our country, let alone our province, is critically inadequate. With this dire situation in mind, it is completely unnecessary for the ANC-led government to take away available resources from crime fighting,” Allen said.
Esau, however, said the SAPS had approached DEL offering its service. DEL would conclude its inspections on Friday, January 28, and would brief the public on its findings.