Letter: Reality of labour practices in the Hospitality sector

By Michael Bagraim

I refer to your October 8 edition“waitress speaks out after exposing exploited service sector”.

It is entirely unfair to come to the conclusion that the restaurant industry is exploitative. Yes, a handful of restaurants exposed unfair labour practices but they conducted raids at thousands of restaurants. In reality every single industry has its “bad eggs”.

We need to ensure that inspections are carried out more regularly and that our inspectors are properly resourced and trained.

In my daily business, I often speak to labour inspectors who tell me they don’t always have access to transport, laptops and other equipment needed to conduct proper inspections.

I am aware that there are literally hundreds of thousands of businesses who breach our labour laws and who have been getting away with it for decades. I can categorically state that the hospitality industry is certainly not the worst.

Cape Times