Implementation of minimum wage legislation delayed

IT will not be possible to implement the National Minimum Wage Bill on the initially envisaged implementation date of May 1 because the parliamentary process dealing with it would not be completed by then, Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant confirmed yesterday.

The minister was updating the media on the progress regarding the National Minimum Wage Bill‚ the Labour Relations Amendment Bill and the Basic Conditions of Employment Bill, which are currently being considered by parliament’s portfolio committee on labour.

Oliphant said the bills were highly contested and “it has become apparent that the ambition for the National Minimum Wage Bill to become law by May 1 2018 may not be practical given the high volumes of public submissions‚ both written and oral”.

“We are also aware of a number of important issues that are being raised in these public hearings which parliament will have to consider as part of concluding the bills. We stand ready to take instructions from the parliamentary process‚” she said.

The bills‚ the minister said‚ were now under the authority of parliament and the executive no longer had any control of these processes.

The department is due to give its response to public submissions on the bill tomorrow‚ and then the committee will have to consider the proposals received.

The bill also has to be processed by the National Council of Provinces.

Oliphant pointed out that regulations to the bill would also have to be prepared and promulgated. – BusinessLIVE