[imagesource:instagram/babel.menlyn]

During a Sunday raid by the Department of Labour, the owner of Babel, a popular restaurant in Menlyn, Pretoria, was arrested along with two of his employees.

The arrests come in the wake of allegations accusing the owner of mistreating staff and employing individuals without proper legal documentation to be in the country. The Citizen reported that the employer would be charged and face a fine, while the employees would be deported.

This all emerged after a woman, who claimed to have been hired at the restaurant, exposed the alleged mistreatment of workers via a now-viral social media post.

The video alleged that the staff worked without contracts, depended entirely on tips for their income, and were even required to purchase their own uniforms. In addition to having to purchase their own obligatory working attire and equipment, such as bottle openers, lighters, and cigar cutters, she claimed that staff were not provided with breaks during their shifts.

“What happens there is painful,” she said.

Her TikTok videos quickly gained major attention, most critically, from the Department of Labour.

@molly_bave Babel in Menlyn needs to start treating their employees like humans !! #fypシ゚ #SAMA28 #babel #menlynmall #mistreatment #viral ♬ original sound – molly

When the labour inspectors did pitch up to Babel, they found two undocumented workers while the restaurant manager denied all the allegations, claiming that the restaurant was “among the top 5% in the country”.

He told eNCA that it was difficult to register new staff due to the high turnover rates of personnel.

“We have new staff, it’s difficult to register all of them at the same time because a lot of people they like to work for four or five days then they leave,” he said.

Although the immigration official said that the department often finds undocumented workers in restaurants, it is still a criminal offence, and employers and employees without documentation will be arrested and face deportation and/or fines.

 

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While the restaurant dazzles at first glance, the Labour Department also found issues with gas installations and the structural integrity of the restaurant, leading to operations being halted.

“Operations will be restricted from going ahead. It means that we may have to close the operations until there’s compliance with those laws,” said the Labour Department’s Director General Viwe Mlenzana.

Mlenzana added that the ‘dangers’ in the restaurant might be putting its workers at risk, in terms of health and safety, “which is why we have to make sure that there is compliance so that employees are protected,” he said.

[source:citizen]