Chinese employers told comply or face consequences
· Citizen
Comply with labour laws or face the full might of the law – this was a clear message to Chinese businesspeople operating in SA, from the department of employment and labour.
Visit bettingx.bond for more information.
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Jomo Sibiya, was addressing a gathering of business owners at China Mall in Johannesburg, issued a stern warning to them: obey the country’s labour laws, pay minimum wage, don’t hire undocumented migrants and treat workers with dignity.
Govt warns Chinese businesses to comply with labour laws or face action
He was supported by China’s diplomats in South Africa who attended the gathering.
Sibiya said the department would come after Chinese businesspeople who failed to comply.
He said they must prioritise South Africans for jobs because not everybody who has a document to stay in SA is eligible to be hired.
Some came to the country with tourist, study and other visas which did not necessarily allow them to be employed.
“Verify their papers with home affairs and police,” Sibiya said.
Dept willing to give Chinese businesspeople skilled workers
He added the department was willing to give the Chinese businesspeople skilled workers from the department’s database of four million legitimate jobseekers.
ALSO READ: Education assistants’ stipend crisis: ‘I owe people money and had no food in the fridge’
The deputy minister condemned some Chinese businesspeople in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal for treating local workers “like animals, trampling on their dignity and paying them unacceptable wages”.
“We would rather have no investment if it compromises the livelihoods of our people. “Our people come first and we must protect them,” said Sibiya.
“We want to ensure investors are protected in our country and, therefore, we want our people protected, too.”
Sibiya praised some businesspeople for coming forward and voluntarily offering to comply with South African labour laws, including granting their workers the necessary labour rights.
Change of direction and new hope
This signalled a change of direction and new hope that Chinese employers in South Africa wanted to change and do the right thing.
He added the journey to bring Chinese businesses to operate in line with SA laws was initiated by the department in conjunction with the Chinese embassy, including the Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Wu Peng, and the Chinese consul-general in Johannesburg, Pan Qingjiang.
Chinese embassy minister Zhou Maoyi said a business community breaking a country’s laws would give China a bad name.
In his address at the gathering, Pan said: “For Chinese businesses operating in SA, abiding by the law and operating in compliance is not an option, but a compulsory course and the lifeline of development.”
NOW READ: Here’s how much the suspended UIF commissioner earned in 11 months