The Department of Employment and Labour are calling on workers to report employers who fail to pay them the National Minimum Wage (NMW), as paying an employer below the minimum wage is exploitation in South Africa.
National Minimum Wage
The NMW is viewed as an important instrument which allows workers in the country to uplift themselves out of poverty and improve their lives.
Caroline Kwetepane, Deputy Director for Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations says employers are still exploiting workers by paying them below the NMW which was introduced more than three years ago.
In addition to this, employees are not receiving contracts of employment, payslips, are not registered for injuries on duty or the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). Employees are also not receiving leave benefits.
Kwetepane was speaking during the department’s domestic worker seminar held at the weekend in Tshwane. The theme of the seminar was “Paying the National Minimum Wage is the Right Thing to Do”.
The aim of the seminar was to inform workers of their rights and the responsibilities of their employees concerning the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, NMW, UIF and Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases.
Here Is The NMW Since March 2022
- Every general worker’s minimum wage will increase from R21.69 to R23.19 per hour
- Domestic Workers minimum wage will increase from R19.09 to R23.19 per hour
- Farm Workers minimum wage will increase from R21.69 to R23.19 per hour
- Workers employed in expanded works programmes minimum wage will increase from R11.93 to R12.75 per hour
Should workers' rights be trampled upon, they can refer their cases to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
CCMA commissioner Matome Selapisa said the NMW must be paid but did note that qualifying employers can apply for exemptions. Since April 2022, the CCMA has adjudicated over 538 cases related to the implementation of the NMW and Basic Conditions of Employment Act in the domestic worker sector.
