According to the union, this practice fosters a pool of cheap labour, which they believe undermines the integrity of collective bargaining agreements.

A demonstration involving over 300 union members took place outside the Home Affairs Department's refugee reception centre in Umbilo, Durban.

The protestors urged the Home Affairs and Labour Departments to probe into the union's claims of undocumented workers within the clothing and textile sector.

SACTWU's KwaZulu-Natal secretary, Nadasen Govender, stated, "While we support national foreign employment, the use of undocumented individuals is a concern. They are exploited by the capitalist system to create a surplus of labour, which in turn weakens our collective bargaining efforts. We are not in opposition to the departments; rather, we seek partnership to conduct unannounced inspections and address the issue of undocumented workers. It is also crucial to expedite the process of providing proper documentation to these individuals."

--SABC--