Wage increase for domestic workers
The wage increase for domestic workers was implemented on Monday.
Stephen Rathai, Director of Employment Standards at the Department of Labour says that after extensive consultation with all parties concerned in the sector, the Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, announced that wages for those in the domestic worker sector were adjusted, which took effect on December 1.
“Domestic workers’ wages will increase between 10% in Area A, which are your big cities or urban cities and 12% in Area B, which are your rural cities or small towns,” says Rathai.
This means that:
- an employee who works for more than 27 hours in a week in Area A qualifies for a minimum hourly rate of R10.59.
- An employee who works less than 27 hours in a week in Area A qualifies for a minimum hourly rate of R12.40.
- An employee who works more than 27 hours in a week in Area B qualifies for a minimum hourly rate of R9.30.
- An employee who works less than 27 hours in a week in Area B qualifies for an hourly rate of R10.98.
“The Department of Labour takes non-compliance with the law very seriously and the department will therefore urge parties in the sector to adhere to the law, we will regret to compel parties to comply with the requirements by using the necessary enforcement mechanisms.”
Anna Phatlane (48) is a domestic worker for Mariette Kroukamp, a resident of Springs and has been working for her for 10 years.
Phatlane is a single mother of a seven-year-old girl and although she is paid well above minimum wage, she was impressed with the domestic wage increase.
“I am very happy about the increase,” says Phatlane, “times are very hard and people need to care for their children and families.”
Phatlane explains how expensive travelling is via taxi to go to their employers home.
“It is around R15 to travel there and the same to go back home, so they pay R30 out of their own pocket to go to work and then some of them get paid less than what they are supposed to.”
She says it is cheaper to take the bus, but that they still have to walk far every day as the bus can’t drop them exactly where they need to be.
