24 Jul 2024

The Minister of Labour and Home Affairs, Ms Annah Mokgethi says her ministry conducts regular labour and occupational health and safety inspections to ensure compliance with labour laws.

As such, Ms Mokgethi said her ministry was not aware that farm workers were subjected to poor labour practices such as being paid below statutory minimum wages, long working hours without overtime payment, unfair dismissals, living in squalor conditions, no sick leave and verbal abuse.

“The inspections conducted in farms in Tuli block have revealed that a majority of farmers in the area comply with labour laws.

My ministry has not registered any disputes pertaining to contravention of the minimum wage, sick leave and verbal abuse from workers employed in the farms in Tuli Block,” said Ms Mokgethi in Parliament on Tuesday.

She said it must be noted that in the current legislation, hours of work were not applicable in the agricultural sector. As such, Ms Mokgethi said the issue of working overtime did not apply in the sector.

She said from 2019 to date, 29 labour inspections were conducted in farms in Tuli Block area, of which the last was carried out in January 2024.

Currently, Ms Mokgethi said, her ministry has no plans to establish a labour office in Sefhare/Ramokgonami due to financial constraints.  She said the area was serviced by the Selebi Phikwe and Bobonong labour offices.

Ms Mokgethi was answering a question from MP for Sefhare/Ramokgonami, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, who had asked the minister to update the house on whether she was aware that farm workers in the Tuli Block farms were subjected to poor labour practices such as pay below statutory minimum wage, long working hours without overtime payment, unfair dismissals, living in squalor conditions, no sick leave and verbal abuse.

Dr Gobotswang also wanted the minister to state the number of labour inspections conducted since November 2019, indicate the last time such inspections were undertaken and whether she will consider opening labour offices in Sefhare/Ramokgonami constituency in consistent with the decentralisation policy. ENDS