MINISTER of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, has welcomed a court ruling in which a Glen Anil based business was fined for being in breach of the labour laws and disregarding Covid-19 pandemic regulations.
The Chen Lu Fragrance Company appeared in the Durban Specialised Criminal Court last Thursday for various charges, including locking in 14 employees in the factory, to ensure that they met the target of producing surgical masks.
The company was accused of using the lockdown fears of unemployment to force workers into long hours and was fined R20 000, of which R15 000 was suspended for five years.
Read the original story here: Glen Anil face mask factory owner arrested for locking up employees
The company was also fined R50 000, of which R35 000 was suspended for five years, for failure to trade under lockdown with a required licence.
The company was further ordered by the Chinese Consulate to donate masks worth R200 000 to the South African Police Service and the office of the KwaZulu-Natal Premier.
“Our Inspection and Enforcement Services does a good service but working hand in hand with workers, it is possible to end workplace exploitation. We appeal to workers to report abusive behaviour at work. The operations of the company were in direct conflict with the Covid-19 regulations. They did not even provide for physical distancing and thus put the lives of many workers and their extended families at risk,” Nxesi said.
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