National Minimum Wage briefing sessions resume

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The Department of Labour says the sessions are to inform workers on the implications of proposed amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the Labour Relations Act (LRA), the Accord on Collective Bargaining and Industrial Action and the Code of Good Practice on Collective Bargaining, Industrial Action and Picketing.

“The objective of the worker briefing sessions is to ensure that the NMW, as a new labour policy intervention instrument, is communicated to all the intended beneficiaries - the workers,” said the department.

The next worker briefing sessions will take place on Thursday, 18 January at Emnotweni Tsogo Sun Casino - 15 Government Boulevard Riverside Park Extension 1 in Nelspruit, and on Friday, 19 January at Protea Hotel Marriot Emalahleni - 167 Jellicoe Street in Witbank.

The worker engagement and briefing sessions started on 9 November 2017 and target all sectors of the economy. Since the start of the roadshows, briefing sessions have been held in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, George, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay, Durban, Tzaneen, and Polokwane.

The agreed NMW at National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) is pegged at R20 an hour for major sectors, with the exception of sectors such as farm and domestic workers.

The exceptions to the national minimum wage which include:

• The minimum wage for farm workers will be 90% of R20 per hour (R18 per hour);
  
• The minimum wage for domestic workers will be 75% of R20 per hour (R15 per hour);
  
• The minimum wage for workers on an Expanded Public Works Programme is R11 per hour.

Nedlac social partners have agreed that the farm, forestry and domestic sectors will be brought up to 100% of the NMW within two years, pending research by the National Minimum Wage Commission.

More worker NMW and labour amendments briefing sessions are still to be held in:

• Klerksdorp - 25 January
  
• Rustenburg - 26 January
  
• Bloemfontein - 01 February
  
• Welkom - 02 February
  
• Umtata - 07 February
  
• East London - 08 February
  
• Port Elizabeth - 09 February
  
• Upington - 15 February
  
• Kimberley -16 February

The briefing sessions on NMW and amendments to labour laws are held from 10am – 1pm.