Contract Cleaning workers and employers in the Northern Cape have proposed a minimum wage increase of R500-a-month for the sector in order to help workers catch up with the “runaway” standard of living, this emerged during the Department of Labour (DoL) run public hearings.
The Department of Labour (DoL) Public Hearings started yesterday (08/05/2014) in Johannesburg, Kimberley and Nelspruit. The purpose of the nationwide public hearings is to consult interested parties on the review of the minimum wage(s) for the sector.
DoL Deputy Director: Employment Standards (ES), Shaun Feldman told a public hearing in Upington today (May 9) that the intention of the review process was to protect vulnerable workers. Feldman said the new review will be applicable for three years once it comes into force.
Feldman said on year two and three, the increase will be implemented on the basis of a minimum wage of the previous year plus consumer price inflation. The current rate per hour for the Contract Cleaning Sector is set at R15, 69 in major metropolitan areas and the rest of the Republic of South Africa is fixed at R14,21 per hour.
“Contract cleaning Sector” is described as the sector in which employers and employees are associated for the purpose of cleaning or washing by hand or machine, of furniture, windows, carpets, doors, floors, tools, machinery, under supervision at industrial and commercial premises, buildings, and flats that are let commercially or any airplanes, trucks, cars, buses, trains or any other vehicle requiring to be cleaned.
After the department has concluded the public hearings, inputs gathered will be forwarded to the Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) to consider when reviewing the minimum wage. The ECC is a body that advices Labour Minister on the minimum wage review for “vulnerable sectors” whose wage is governed by Sectoral Determination (SD).
When reviewing the minimum wage the Employment Conditions Commission consider a number of factors.
These include the operation of small, medium or micro enterprises and new enterprises; the ability of employers to carry on their business successfully; the cost of living; the alleviation of poverty; conditions of employment; wage differentials and inequality; the likely impact of any proposed condition of employment on current employment or the creation of employment; the possible impact of any proposed conditions of employment on the health, safety or welfare of employees; and any other relevant information made available to the Commission.
The Contract Cleaning Sector minimum wage determination is governed in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The current Sectoral Determination which governs the minimum wage and conditions of employment for the Contract Cleaning Sector, started on 01/12/2013 and will run until 30/11/2014.
The public hearings would also provide an opportunity to the workers and employers to make an input on the consideration to increase the Provident Fund for the sector. The current contribution to the sector’s provident fund introduced in 2002 is 5.25% - both employers and employees.
The hearings will continue next week at various offices of DoL in Tshwane on May 12 at corner Nana Sita and Thabo Sehume, on May 15 in Bellville at Middestad Mall, and on May 16 in George at 35 Nelson Mandela Boulevard. The Contract Cleaning Sector public hearings will come to an end on May 28 in Bethlehem and in East London. All public hearings start at 10am.
Interested stakeholders who wish to make their inputs can do so by forwarding their proposals to:
Director: Employment Standards
Private Bag X117
PRETORIA
0001
Attention:
Mogodi Masenya
Tel: 012 309 4067
Fax: 012 309 4709
Fax to e-mail: 0866 247 175
Email: mogodi.masenya@labour.gov.za
For more information:
Kebalepile Khula
Cell: 082 043 1504 or 083 405 0166
