The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) has vowed to continue to campaign for a national minimum wage that is higher than R20 per hour.
This comes after the National Assembly passed the landmark National Minimum Wage Bill.
Two-hundred-and-two MPs voted in favour of the Bill, with 17 against and one abstention.
Under the Bill, the salaries of more than six million will increase, however, some critics including labour federation Saftu have described R20 per hour as an insult.
The Bill was adopted alongside the Basic Conditions of Employment and the Labour Relations Amendment bills.
All the three Bills will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence.
Saftu spokesperson Patrick Craven says they are determined to keep fighting.
“We’re convinced that people are very angry on this issue because one of the reasons why this minimum wage has angered people so much is that they are already facing a rising cost of living. They are struggling to survive now, more jobs are disappearing, and service delivery is getting worse, which is why we see so many angry protests,” explains Craven.
Minimum Wage App
SABC Digital News and OpenUp (formerly Code for South Africa) has partnered to develop a Minimum Wage App that will give answers to the question: “Can South Africans survive on R3 500?”
Where does the information come from?
OpenUp has used the following data sources:
- Stats SA “Poverty Trends in South Africa” report
- Pietermaritzburg Agency for Community Social Action (PACSA) “Food Price Barometer“
- Stats SA “Income and Expenditure of Households Survey”
How is it calculated?
The money available for food is calculated by subtracting the money used for other expenses from the household income.
