TimesLive reports that the SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) says it is disgusted by the decision to increase the daily rate of Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers from R83.50 to just R88.00.  

This translates to a monthly remuneration of R1‚760 assuming that the participant has worked five days a week for a month.  The increase was effective from 1 November 2017.  “The sectoral minimum wage for Local Government is currently R6‚800 and as such it is shameful and disgusting that people who are doing the same job as those employed permanently and directly by municipalities are set to continue receiving slave wages‚” Samwu said in a statement.  Hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries work for the municipalities under the EPWP doing‚ among other tasks‚ cleaning in communities.  “We are of the view that EPWP participants should be directly and permanently employed by municipalities‚” the union stated.

• Read this report by Penwell Dlamini in full at TimesLive
• Read Samwu’s press statement in this regard at Cosatu Today

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page