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 Mercury reports that the cost-of-living crisis is hitting hard, leaving workers who earn the national minimum wage (NMW) of R25.42 an hour unable to afford the three core household expenses of transport, electricity and food.
This is according to the Household Affordability Index for September, which was released by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity group. The index looks at data from Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Springbok and Pietermaritzburg. It revealed that the average worker receiving the minimum wage of R25.42 an hour in a 40-hour week, with a monthly wage of R4,067.20, is left with a shortfall of R1,837.13 after paying for transport and electricity. For such a worker, a return trip to work using taxis cost on average R1,440, and by purchasing 350kWh of prepaid electricity worth R906.92, only R1,720.28 was left to secure all the other expenses. Feeding a family of four would cost R3,557.41 leaving a shortfall of R1,837.13. “The NMW set at such a low level does not allow workers and their families the possibility to secure even their most basic expenses. “Instead it appears from the data that the NMW has worked to lock workers and their families into even deeper levels of poverty. Workers will have to cut back further on food and go into deeper levels of debt to cover wage shortfalls,” stated the report. Evashnee Naidu, the KZN provincial director of Black Sash, said the human rights organisation was appalled at the cost-of-living crisis and its impact on those who were earning a minimum wage or on a social grant.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Karen Singh at The Mercury
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page