THE AL JAMA-AH political party commended Cosatu for protesting on World Day for Decent Work, October 7, and to ban labour brokers, but says it should focus more on exposing their clients, which include JSE-listed companies and government departments.

Lentegeur Hospital in Cape Town's Mitchells Plain has cut its cleaners wages by nearly half with the help of labour brokers. Stikland Hospital in Bellville pays cleaners below the breadline and flouts the sectoral determination for contract cleaners by not paying them annual bonuses or contributing to a provident fund.

Shoprite in Mitchells Plain pays cleaners below the regulated minimum, using a labour broker to make the savings. Liberty Life at the Mitchells Plain Promenade strips workers of severance pay if they are retrenched, by using a labour broker that is part of the Bidvest Group.

The AGS church also pays cleaners just over half the sectoral rate, using a labour broker to do so at their two old age homes in the northern suburbs.

But the blame lies with the Department of Labour for poor enforcement of workers' rights.

Al Jama phoned President Jacob Zuma on his hotline on World Day for Decent Work and asked him to create half a million permanent jobs. Those that were created as part of the public works programme are not decent jobs.

Another action of our party on World Day for Decent Work was to call on the minister of labour to put in place a Provident Fund for workers with disabilities under his watch, which was promised eight years ago in writing.

While the government's focus on decent work must be supported, it is paying lip service to this important component of its five focus areas for the country.

Ganief Hendricks, party leader, Pinelands