Stage set for talks on minimum wage issue
DEPUTY President Cyril Ramaphosa is due to conduct bilateral meetings with National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) constituents this week‚ after business and labour agreed to accelerate work towards the setting of a national minimum wage.
A national minimum wage technical task team within Nedlac‚ which Ramaphosa chairs‚ had met with Nedlac constituents on Saturday‚ recommitting to the process‚ the council’s spokeswoman Kim Jurgensen said.
Last week‚ the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) introduced a motion in parliament – which was rejected – that called for the introduction of a minimum wage with effect from May 1 next year at a level of not less than R4 500.
In a speech during the debate‚ DA labour spokesman Ian Ollis said while minimum wages‚ set by politically neutral experts sectorally‚ might improve conditions‚ its broader introduction would prejudice millions of unemployed South Africans.
Ramaphosa’s spokesman‚ Ronnie Mamoepa‚ said at the weekend the Nedlac bilateral meetings would begin this week.
The aim was to “develop consensus on the key issues and topics” after “all constituencies recommitted themselves to the process”. The meetings form part of a negotiations process between business‚ the government and labour‚ first announced after a labour relations indaba at the end of last year. — BDLive