Minimum wage gets the OK

The cabinet has approved a national minimum wage and wants it to take effect in May at R3,200 a month.

But some low-income people, such as farm and domestic workers, will be exempt.

This is according to Minister of Communications Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, who said on Thursday that the minimum wage was discussed at this week's cabinet meeting.

The cabinet approved amendments to labour laws to allow for the introduction of a national minimum wage of R 3,200 a month or R20 an hour.

Kubayi-Ngubane said parliament would now have to process the National Minimum Wage Bill and the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill for the minimum wage to be introduced by May.

"The cabinet [also] approved the submission to parliament of the Labour Relations Amendment Bill of 2017," said Kubayi-Ngubane.

"The bill is a culmination of consultation with all the stakeholders. It addresses, among other things, picketing, protracted strikes and arbitration advisory structures."

Farm workers will get R18 , domestic workers R15 an hour and people employed in the government's expanded public works programme R11 per hour.

"The Nedlac social partners have agreed that the farm, forestry and domestic sectors will be brought up to 100% of the minimum wage within two years," said Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant's spokesman, Sithembele Tshwete.