Almost 1,000 illegal workers traced in five months

No fewer than 979 irregularly employed persons were nabbed by the Employment and Training Corporation in the first five months of this year.

This means that every day, nearly seven people are found working or registering illegally for work.

A total of 231 people were struck off the employment register either after being found working while registering for work or for failing to respond to ETC services or interviews.

Another 348 people interviewed were signing on as unemployed while 52 had no employment history.

A total of 147 were performing undeclared part-time work and another 124 were not traced back, mostly due to the provision of details that were false. Eleven people were under the age of 16.

The ETC passes information on cases of foreigners flouting the law to the Commissioner of Police. However, ETC inspectors take immediate action whenever illegally employed foreigners are found working during their inspections. There were 30 such cases.

The ETC pointed out that since May harsher penalties are being imposed on people found to be working while registering as unemployed.

A person found to be working while registering will be re-eligible for registering only if he works without interruption for six whole months.

In the case of the other infringements, the ETC fines and takes action against employers for not forwarding the engagement form of employees to the ETC.

As regards illegally employed foreigners, stricter and harsher action will be taken following the concessionary period in August, the ETC said.