Mega blitz inspection for KZN wholesale and retail industries

Retailers and wholesalers In KwaZulu-Natal must prepare themselves for workplace inspections by the Department of Employment and Labour’s Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES).

Week-long mega blitz inspections will be targeting supermarkets, general dealers, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, textiles, clothing, footwear, home furnishings, appliances, and equipment, hardware, paint, and glass, automobile dealers and repair shops.

The mega blitz inspections will take place in the eThekwini Metro, Pietermaritzburg, Newcastle, Kokstad, and Ulundi regions between 7 -11 February 2022.

The National Roving Team will focus on those five regions, while local inspectors will conduct the same inspections in all other regions.

The inspectorate will also conduct a joint inspection of the road freight and logistics industries in Phoenix and Isipingo.

The teams will be conducting compliance checks under the National Minimum Wage Act (NMWA), the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the Unemployment Insurance Act (UIA), and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA).

The mega blitz inspections will be led by Inspector-General Aggy Moiloa, Chief Inspector Tibor Szana, and KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Chief Inspector, Mncedisi Khambula.

The Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Service (Saps) will also be present, to ensure that all institutions, including supermarkets and spaza shops, are thoroughly inspected.

“Given the sector’s impact in recent years as a result of the July unrest and Covid-19, Provincial Chief Inspector Mncedisi Khambula believes it is critical to reinforce compliance with labour laws and to ensure that employers continue to adhere to basic working conditions while also ensuring workers’ health and safety at all times,” said the department in a statement.

“Employers can, in the meantime, ensure their house is in order prior to inspectors arriving,” said Provincial Chief Inspector Mncedisi Khambula.

“We are altering our standard by informing employers to prepare the necessary documents prior to our arrival,” explained Khambula. 

We are not allowing for any justifications”. Ordered books should save both the employer and inspector time during the inspection process.”

Some of the documents required during the inspection include:

• Attendance Register (Last 2 months);
• Signed employment contracts/letter of appointment of an employee.
• Information about remuneration (pay slips/envelopes), overtime, leave pay (Last 2 months);
• Unemployment Insurance, registration number, as well as proof of last payments;
• Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act registration number as well as proof of last payments;
• A copy of the CIPRO Certificate and;
• A list containing the names and ID numbers of all employees are some of the records inspectors will be expecting employers to produce.

“Many businesses in the Wholesale and Retail sectors are now back up and running as a result of the impact that the July unrest and Covid-19 had on the industry,” said Khambula.

While we support economic recovery, we do not support worker exploitation. It is critical that we get on the ground and assess whether the working conditions are still being met,” concluded Khambula. 

Compiled by Narissa Subramoney

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