Investigation of Conditions of Employment and Minimum Wages

Investigation of conditions of employment and minimum wages in the unskilled labour sector in South Africa

In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment act of 1997, the Minister of Labour cancelled the following wage determinations on the dates indicated:

• wage determination 488 for the cement products industry on 30 march 2007
• wage determination 467 for the unskilled labour industry on 7 march 2008Investigation of conditions of employment and minimum wages in the unskilled labour sector in South Africa
• wage determination 475 for the stone crushing industry on 30 march 2007

 No reasons for the cancellation of the three respective Wage Determination were given.
 
The Minister of Labour in terms of Notice No 69 of 5 February 2010 gave notice in accordance with Section 52(3) of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997 of the commencement of an investigation of conditions of employment and minimum wages in the unskilled labour sector in South Africa. The terms of reference of the investigation are as follows:
 
(a) To investigate the three cancelled Wage Determinations 488, 467 and 475
 
(b) To establish the feasibilities of grouping them together in a single determination for UNSKILLED LABOUR, and
 
(c) To determine how best to group all classes of employees in the under mentioned sectors in the Republic of South Africa:

1. Brewing or bottling of beer and /or mineral water
2. Bunkering
3. Cement Products
4. Construction plant hire services
5. Delivery services, including messenger services
6. Demolition of buildings
7. Excavation, leveling or pumping of sand, soil or gravel
8. Garden services
9. Maintenance of agricultural or industrial show grounds
10. Manufacturing of bone meal
11. Manufacturing of carpets
12. Manufacturing of food for domestic animals
13. Manufacturing of fertilizer
14. Manufacture of glucose, dextrose cornflower, starch or gelatin
15. Manufacture or mending of Hessian ,jute or other bags.
16. Manufacture of tanning extract
17. Pest control services
18. Preparing sites for building or other purposes
19. Purification, grinding or packing of salt
20. Quarrying including stone crushing
21. Shipping agencies
22. Tending of racehorses
23. Waste paper recovery
24. Funeral undertaking

(d) To make recommendations regarding wages and working conditions in the Republic of South Africa pertaining to this sector.
 
The Notice extends an opportunity to interested parties of making written representations to the Director- General: Labour Representations should reach the Executive Manager: Employment Standards, Department of Labour, Private Bag X117, Pretoria, within 90 days after publication of the Notice.(3 May 2010)

Pieter Rautenbach