Unscrupulous employment agencies warned

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The Department of Labour has threatened to close down the offices of recruitment agencies that charge a fee from prospective job seekers. Labour and Employment Minister Thulas Nxesi says recruitment agencies that charge a fee will face criminal charges.

Nxesi further urges job seekers not to pay a fee to any agency and to deal only with reputable agencies that comply with the rules and regulations governing acts.

Many desperate job seekers have lost their hard-earned money to recruitment agencies that promised to secure them employment. According to the Employment Services Act (ESA) it is a criminal offence for an agency to charge job seekers money.

The ESA further says that recruitment agencies found guilty of this conduct are likely to face a R50 000 fine. Moreover, job seekers are urged to report such cases to various labour offices and police stations.

“ It’s illegal and criminal for those to exploit the poor desperate work seekers, to say they must pay when they are looking for a job. It is illegal in terms of the Employment Services Act and the international convention.”

The CEO of Confederation of Associations in the Private Employment Sector, Johnny Goldberg says job seekers must not pay any fee and should deal with registered agencies only.

“But it is exactly those kinds of unscrupulous agencies taking money from people who are desperate for a job, so it’s important as job seekers to check out the Department of Labour’s website to see whether these agencies are registered.”

The amended Employment Services Act is scheduled to be presented to Parliament for approval by the end of February and it is anticipated these will help protect the rights of job seekers from being exploited by recruitment agencies.

Report by Matimu Khosa