In February, the Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi announced the new minimum wage in South Africa. The minimum wage increased from R20.76 to R21.69 for each ordinary hour worked.
The minimum wage is recommended to the minister by the Employment Conditions Commission which is provided for by the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997.
The Act also regulates working hours:
Basic conditions of employment.
Labour Relations Act
The Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 was enacted to among other things, promote and facilitate collective bargaining at the workplace and at the sectoral level. Strike action is something that remains synonymous with the South African labour sector.
This legislation serves to regulate workers’ right to strike and also provides measures for dispute resolution between workers and employers through the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration.
During the apartheid era in South Africa, workers from some races were not allowed to perform certain jobs.
Africans were particularly disadvantaged by being subjected to unskilled jobs.
The Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, through affirmative action, seeks to redress the gap in the disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups.
The Act also provides to close the gap between men and women.
