This news aggregator site highlights South African labour news from a wide range of internet and print sources. Each posting has a synopsis of the source article, together with a link or reference to the original. Postings cover the range of labour related matters from industrial relations to generalist human resources.
The New Age reports that some farmers are unlawfully deducting electricity, water and rentals to counter the minimum wage for farmworkers set by the government.
The government adjusted the minimum wages for the farming and forestry sectors last March. Investigations by The New Age revealed farm workers, who in some instances work as long as 18 hours a day, earn R1,200 a month after “deductions”. The minimum wage for farm workers per hour is R14.25 and R128.26 per nine-hour day calculated to R2,778.83 a month. The Food and Allied Workers Union’s (Fawu’s) Katishi Masemole confirmed that few farm workers earned the prescribed minimum wage, with most forced to accept “slave wages”. He accused farmers of charging ridiculous amounts for water and electricity because government was failing to bring them to account.
- Read this report by Mthokozisi Dube in full at The New Age
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page