24/7 National Hotline: 0860 163 272 | Email: info@neasa.co.za
INCREASE IN NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE
Dear employer
The Minister of Employment and Labour has increased the national minimum wage to R21,69 per hour, with effect from 1 March 2021.
The new minimum wage has been implemented despite strenuous objection by business bodies indicating that the increase will have a devastating effect on struggling businesses and low-skilled employees, especially during the time of Covid-19 which affected economic activity.
It is further extremely worrying that the Government saw fit to increase the wages of farmworkers to equal the new minimum wage of R21,69 per hour. This move effectively increases the wages of farmworker by 16% which, in our view, is completely unsustainable and will inevitably lead to job losses, especially in respect of low-skilled workers in rural areas.
The same concern arises in the case of domestic workers whose hourly rate has been increased to R19.09 per hour, an increase of 22% from the previous rate of R15,57 per hour.
It is inconceivable that anybody could truly believe that these increases, at this time, will not lead to the worsening of the unemployment disaster.
The Minister, at the same time, increased the wages in terms of the Sectoral Determinations for Wholesale and Retail, Contract Cleaning and allowances for learners.
Please click here to view all the new wages.
For more information:
NEASA Media Department
media@neasa.co.za
NEASA 24/7 NATIONAL HOTLINE: 086 016 3272
legalhotline@neasa.co.za
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