JOHANNESBURG - Cats roaming freely in a storeroom, meat being stored on the floor and workers allegedly putting in 13-hour shifts without overtime pay are among the violations uncovered during a regulatory blitz in Johannesburg.
Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth and Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero are leading the multi-disciplinary inspections targeting businesses across the city.
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At one establishment, inspectors found cats inside a storeroom where food was being kept, while workers raised concerns about long working hours and non-compliance with the national minimum wage.
Meth says businesses found violating labour and other regulations will be issued with notices and, in cases of repeated non-compliance, could face prosecution.
The inspections are also targeting the employment of undocumented foreign nationals, with Meth calling on businesses to make use of government’s database of more than seven million South African jobseekers.