Pretoria - Police in the Free State arrested two men posing as labour officials, attempting to sell to employers labour legislation, claiming the current ones employers had were outdated.
An employer at Gemini Scrap Metal in Bloemfontein was almost robbed of more than R2 000 by the two men claiming to be from a company called Manpower Law Solutions.
The men, travelling in a Gauteng registered VW Polo, sold them labour legislation such as Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Employment Equity Act (EEA) and Occupational Health and Safety Acts, saying the current ones needed to be replaced.
"The Department of Labour wants to put it on record that all labour legislations remain legal and only change after public consultations and a public announcement is made on the new amendments effected," says Chief Director of Provincial Operations, Marsha Bronkhorst.
"As a department, we do not sell or use any consultants to sell any products. Our core responsibilities are to advice and enforce labour laws in workplaces."
The Gemini employer called the department to confirm the official after paying about R2 038 for legislation charts sold by one of the men going by the name of Fernando van der Merwe from the said company. Once the employer discovered they were robbed, they immediately called the police who managed to track the culprits and retrieve the employer's cheque.
A similar case was reported of such unlawful activities being conducted by a woman driving a Red Hyundai, registration number JMT 701 GP, claiming to work for the Labour Department through a 'contracted company' called SA Legal Act.
The alleged perpetrator was said to be operating in the Eastern Free State late last year.
The department has urged employers to be careful of people who visit their workplaces without identification to carry out inspections or sell any legislative documents as it might be an act of criminality with the aim of swindling their money.
The department's inspectors are the only officials who are allowed to carry out labour inspections and will do so by prior arrangement.
They will be able to identify themselves and they are never allowed to receive any money from employers.
All labour legislations can be sourced from the offices of the Department of Labour nationwide or on the departmental website www.labour.gov.za
