Daily wage rate increases in line with inflation

The government has increased the wages of Expanded Public Works Programme participants by R4.31, in line with the inflation rate, from R88 to R92.31 per day.

The increase announced last month by national public works department’s deputy director-general for EPWP, Stanley Henderson, was effective from November 1.

The EPWP was launched in 2004 to empower unemployed South Africans with skills, and serves as an avenue for labour absorption and income transfers to poor households in the short- to medium-term.

In a statement on Monday, Henderson called on all public bodies to ensure that the wages were adjusted timeously, in order to comply with the requirements.

He said the revised minimum wage referred to a wage rate per day and per task performed across all EPWP sectors in all spheres of government.

He said the increase was in line with the inflation rate.

“The increased EPWP minimum wage is compulsory to all the public bodies implementing the EPWP and there will be no excuse that will validate the payment of EPWP participants below the minimum wage and not adhering to the adjusted minimum wage as determined by the EPWP ministerial determination.”

He said according to the EPWP Ministerial Determination, participants should work for 40 hours per week, and could work on a task or task size basis, governed by the average productivity of a worker in a day.