SA could implement 4 hour work days as a minimum wage compromise: report
Business and labour unions have reached an impasse on South Africa’s new minimum wage, as both groups fight over what will constitute the new minimum work day.
Speaking to BusinessDay, Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini accused business of stalling minimum wage talks after insisting on a four-hour minimum working day, among other contentious clauses.
In comparison, labour has demanded that workers be paid for a minimum six hours daily – even in cases where productivity is disrupted.
“Even right now when all has been agreed to, they are trying to get us to reverse on the issues that have been agreed,” said Dlamini.
He said that they would re-motivate labour’s stance to the wage discussion panel after receiving a recommendation that was “unacceptable”.
Minimum wage
In February, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa announced the final details of the South African National Minimum Wage, which will be set at R20 per hour.
The minimum wage – which translates to R3,500 per month for workers on a 40 hour week and R3,900 per month for a 45 hour week – will take effect from May 2018.
He said that the wage will be adjusted on an annual basis, and will be handled by a national minimum wage commission.
Any ‘fragile sectors’ that will have difficulty complying with national minimum wage will get assistance, the deputy president assured.
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