POLOKWANE – The new minimum wages for the domestic workers sector has been announced.
According to Johannes Mokou, spokesperson for the department of labour in Polokwane, employers in the city will have to pay their domestic workers a minimum wage of R1 618.37 per month or R373.50 per week if they are working more than 27 hours per week.
Domestic workers working less than 27 hours per week have to be paid a minimum of R1 146.51 per month or R9.80 per hour.
The upward adjustment takes effect as from December 1 and is part of an annual binding determination by the minister of labour in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA).
In terms of sectoral determination (SD), which governs the basic wage, and conditions of employers of the vulnerable domestic workers, it divides the sector into two geographic areas: areas A and B.
Area A includes all urban areas with municipalities such as Buffalo City, City of Tshwane, Emalahleni and Johannesburg. Area B includes those municipalities not included in area A, including Polokwane..
The new minimum wage is valid from December 1 to November 30 next year.
The minimum wages for domestic workers who work more than 27 hours per week will be as follows:
Area A:
• R9.63 per hour;
• R433.35 per week, and
• R1 877.70 per month.
Area B:
• R8.30 per hour;
• R373.50 per week, and
• R1 618.37 per month.
The minimum wages for domestic workers who work 27 hours per week or less are as follows:
Area A:
• R11.27 per hour;
• R304.29 per week, and
• R1 318.48 per month.
Area B:
• R9.80 per hour;
• R264.60 per week, and
• R1 146.51 per month.
The minimum rate in area A is calculated as: Minimum wage for the past period + consumer price index (CPI) + 1% and
the minimum rate in area B is calculated as: Minimum wage for the past period + consumer price index (CPI) + 2%.
The department of labour cautioned employers that, in terms of the law, a domestic worker may not be made to work more than 45 hours a week, work more than nine hours per day for a five-day work week or work more than eight hours a day for a six day work week.
Overtime must be paid at one and half times the employee’s normal wage or an employee may agree to receive paid time-off.
