Labour on minimum wages for forestry workers

15 March 2006

As from 1 April 2006 forestry workers who are planting, growing, tending and
harvesting trees for commercial purposes countrywide will for the first time
earn a minimum wage of R836 per month or R4,28 per hour.

Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana has announced that determination no 12,
will be made available on the government Gazette no 28598.

The sectoral determination prescribes minimum rates of pay for a period of
three years with an annual increase equal to CPIX (Consumer Price Index
excluding interest on mortgage bond payments) plus two percentage points.

“The additional two percentages to the CPIX is intended to contribute to
poverty alleviation,” he said.

The determination applies to the plantation operations of commercial, small
and emergent timber growers which end at the point where the logs are stacked
for transportation.

Community forestry and conservation forestry are excluded from the scope of
the new law because they are non-commercial by nature. However, out-grower
schemes are not excluded from the scope of the determination although it has a
community forestry component.

Communities might derive benefits from such schemes but they are most often
commercial ventures between private forestry companies and individuals or
communities.

“Every worker has the right to minimum conditions of employment irrespective
of whether he or she works for an emergent grower or a corporate,” he said.

“Forestry workers must at all times earn at least the minimum rate of pay
although a large part of the sector works on a task rate basis where workers
are paid based on production,” he said.

The determination does not prohibit task-based payment but workers cannot
work on a task-based system alone. The law stipulates that forestry workers
must earn a guaranteed minimum wage rate.

“The task-based payment is only allowed over and above this minimum. I
cannot accept the argument of employers that a task rate system without a
guaranteed minimum rate of pay is a way of ensuring that ‘lazy’ workers deliver
the output required by them,” said the Minister.

Enquiries please contact:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168
Web: http://www.labour.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Labour
15 March 2006