Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has reaffirmed its support for the controversial proposal by National Minimum Wage Commission that the minimum wage for domestic workers should be increased by 20% to R23 an hour from next year. The recommendation has stirred a lot of controversy in the country.
The National Minimum Wage Commission was established in 2018 and comprises representatives from both employer and labour organisations in the country. Its role is to make recommendations to the Minister of Labour on the annual determination of the national minimum wage for all workers in the country.
The National Minimum wage stands at R21.69 cents an hour currently. Now, the National Minimum Wage Commission has recommended that it should be increased to R23 an hour next year.
The Commission has also recommended that the Minimum Wage for domestic workers should be hiked from R19.09 per hour currently, to R23 an hour as well. Cosatu says it supports the move.
Not everyone is happy. The South African Domestic Service & Allied Workers Union has slammed the proposed increase saying it’s a drop in the ocean. COSATU says the criticism is unjustified.
The proposed increase to R23 an hour will push the average pay for domestic workers to R3 700 a month. Some economists say that will likely force many cash-strapped employers of domestic workers to retrench them. Cosatu says the criticism is also unjustified.
The Minister of Labour is expected to announce the final decision on the issue early next year.
