Department of Labour Wholesale and Retail Sector public hearings to review minimum wage and conditions of employment moves to Gauteng and Mpumalanga.
The roadshows to engage workers, employers, unions and other stakeholders in the Wholesale and Retail Sectors on the review of the minimum wage and the conditions of employment shifts the spotlight to Gauteng and Mpumalanga Provinces this week.
In Gauteng Province hearings are to be held in Sandringham, Johannesburg at Jabula Recreation Centre corner Anne Street & Athlone Avenue on 19 May 2015 and at the Pretoria (Tshwane) Labour Centre at 239 Concillium Building corner Nana Sita & Thabo Sehume Streets 1113 Boardroom 11th Floor on 22 May 2015.
In Mpumalanga Province hearings will be held in Ermelo at Msukaligwa Municipality (Ella De Bruin Hall) Taute Street on 19 May 2015 and at the Department of Labour Provincial Office (Boardroom C41) corner Beatty and Hofmeyer Streets on 22 May 2015.
The Department of Labour has initiated a process to review the minimum wage and conditions of employment in the Wholesale and Retail Sectors following a proclamation by Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant to conduct an investigation. The sectors’ Sectoral Determination which governs the regulation of minimum wage and conditions of employment is coming to an end on 31 January 2016, and the new three-year Sectoral Determination is expected to kick-in on 1 February 2016.
At the national public hearings stakeholders are expected to air and submit their inputs in regard to matters such as: modalities of the new Sectoral Determination, rates at which the new determination could be set, allowances, leave structure, overtime, and other working conditions issues.
The Wholesale and Retail Sector Sectoral Determination affects various categories of workers which includes: cashiers, clerks, assistant managers, displayers, forklift operators, security guards, merchandisers, managers, sales assistants, sales persons, shop assistant supervisors and trainee managers.
The current Wholesale and Retail Sector Sectoral Determination, which is in its last year of implementation took effect from 01 February 2015 the minimum wage increased at rates between 6,1% to 8,1% in various job categories.
The national Wholesale and Retail Sector roadshows started on 6 May 2015 simultaneously at the department’s East London Labour Centre Board& Hill Street; and in George at the Council Chambers Eden District Municipality 54 York Street in the Western Cape. To date hearings have been help in East London, Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape); George, Cape Town (Western Cape); Polokwane, Tzaneen (Limpopo); Bloemfontein, Welkom (Free State).
All the public hearings are preceded by a site visit to premises of organisations/companies operating in the Wholesale and Retail sectors.
Both the public hearings and site visits start at 10am. The Wholesale and Retail Sector public hearings are set to end on 5 June 2015 in KwaZulu-Natal. The Northern Cape, North West are expected to host their respective public hearings next week.
Enquiries:
Mokgadi Pela
Cell: 082 808 2168
E-mail: Mokgadi.Pela@labour.gov.za
