30th september 2011

Friday night, really?

KZN’s ‘horror’ factories exposed

Life-threatening and un- hygienic working conditions and flagrant disregard for the law put Newcastle’s clothing industry under the spotlight again when officials inspected 12 of the area’s “worst” factories on Thursday.

The inspections, sparked by numerous complaints from the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu), found gross violations with the basic conditions of employment, health and safety measures, as well as employment equity standards, said Jay Anand, communications manager for the department of labour.

Abey Rasepae, provincial control inspector for the department in KwaZulu-Natal said: “Some of the contra- ventions included emergency exits not being demarcated, no electrical certificates available for electrical installations and no soap or toilet paper being placed in toilets.

In one instance it was found that only one toilet was shared by almost 60 male and female employees.”