BusinessLive reports that President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed in effect the National Minimum Wage Bill.  It is expected to benefit about 6-million workers that currently earn below R3,700 a month when it comes into force on 1 January 2019.  

The president enacted four labour bills on Friday following heightened pressure by union federation Cosatu to finalise the legislation, especially the minimum wage bill, which Cosatu considers a victory after campaigning for it for years.  The minimum wage law, which was formulated at Nedlac, has been in the works since 2015, with parties agreeing to set the minimum hourly wage rate of R20 in 2017.  The other three labour bills which were signed were the Labour Laws Amendment Bill, which extends a variety of Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) benefits to retrenched workers; the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, which will introduce various changes, including parental and adoption leave; and the Labour Relations Amendment Bill, which makes way for the establishment of an advisory arbitration panel to deal with long and violent strike action.  Cosatu welcomed the signings.  It also applauded Ramaphosa, describing him as a “champion of the workers”.

• Read the full original report by Theto Mahlakoana at BusinessLive
• Read too, Trade unions welcome signing of National Minimum Wage into law, at Fin24

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