Pretoria - Department of Labour inspectors are to embark on weeklong countrywide raids targeting the wholesale and retail trade industry the department said on Wednesday.
The inspectors will focus on conditions of service that include wages, hours of work, leave, prohibition of child labour and forced labour, termination of employment, information concerning remuneration, deductions and other acts relating to remuneration as well as written particulars of employment.
The department said the inspectors are to become a permanent feature in their efforts to protect vulnerable workers.
"It is believed that the sector has been increasing as shown by the share of gross value added to the total output. Researchers say although it represents 13 percent of the gross domestic product in nominal value, it expanded by R9.8 billion to R81 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009.As many as 43 percent of small business operations in South Africa come from the sector," the department said.
The department's inspectors continuously conduct work place inspections countrywide to ensure labour law compliance.
