Casual labour

Through the years I tried to keep myself abreast with either legislation and or important information, because of this I LOVE to listen to TALK shows i.e. listening to 702 Talk radio, SAfm,Kaya FM’s Today and a few others to name but a few.

On this shows you’ll hear different views from a diverse group of callers, especially if it is an open line discussion. What triggered my interest was because of either the one or the other. Recently I tuned into SAfm after 7pm, there was this one particular caller that left me in awe.

He was talking about slave labour in the hospitality industry – that is the hotels. Apparently staff members are expected to work as casual workers for long hours without any food supplies and or transport arrangements for those doing night duty. These employees are then forced to sleep in hotel toilets or at the reception areas, in most cases after a long shift with no food or a small amount of food and no after hours transport arrangements. These employees are the ones staying in the poorest of the poor areas, trying to make a living. This really made me think, not so long ago, or should I say shortly after the inauguration of our president, he promised about 500 000 jobs before the end of this year. Our Union body (COSATU) who is also an alliance partner realised that this would be a pipe dream and that this jobs would not be available or created easily because of the recession and or other hindering factors, announced that this will not be decent jobs instead it would be the current EPWP’s, Learnerships, internships and or casual labour without any benefits. Skilled or unskilled employment seekers then, because of the situation at places of residences and current economic challenges, heed the call of the president and the alliance partners. In most cases these desperate workseekers will settle for anything just to put bread on the table. Affected worker that comes to mind is the private security personnel, petrol attendants, seasonal farmworkers, those in hospitality industry to name a few. Now the big question – IS casual labour something good?




SO many questions… SO little answers…