The Bargaining Forum in the Contract Cleaning Sector has proposed revised wages ahead of the review of the current sectoral determination.

The Department of Labour had in the past two weeks started a high-level series of national public hearings on the Contract Cleaning sector. The purpose of the nationwide public hearings was to consult interested parties on the review of the minimum wages for the sector.

The last in a series of hearings was held today (06 November) at the Department of Labour office in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal.

The current sectoral determination prescribes a minimum wage rate per hour of R20,74 in Area A (metropolitan councils of City of Cape Town, Greater East Rand Metro, City of Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela).

The current minimum wage rate per hour of R20,00 is applicable in Area B (all areas of KwaZulu-Natal bargaining council), and Area C which is the rest of South Africa the minimum wage rate is R18,90.

The new minimum wage rates proposed by the Bargaining Forum are as follows: R22.00 for Area A; R22.20 for Area B and R20.07 for Area C.

The Contract Cleaning Sector public hearings started on 29 October 2018. The hearings were held in Rustenburg, Polokwane, Pretoria, East London, Cape Town, Witbank, Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Durban.

In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, the current sectoral determination which governs the minimum wage and conditions of employment for the Contract Cleaning Sector, started on 01 January 2018 and ends on 30 November 2018.

The sector, is partially organised, but does not have a national bargaining council. The sector has a bargaining council in KwaZulu-Natal.

At present the Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) considers the following factors when reviewing minimum wages: the ability of employers to carry on their business successfully; the operation of small, medium or micro enterprise and new enterprises; the cost of living; the alleviation of poverty; conditions of employment; wage differentials and inequality; the likely impact of any proposed condition of employment on current employment or the creation of employment; the possible impact of any proposed conditions of employment on the health, safety or welfare of employees; and any other relevant information made available to the Commission.

The Employment Conditions Commission is a body that advises Labour Minister on the minimum wage review for “vulnerable sectors” whose wage is governed by Sectoral Determination.

During the public hearing’s stakeholders raised issue with viability of deductions for medical plan, the issue of living wage, the granting of cleaning contracts by Government to companies that do not comply with labour laws, disregard of views of small companies in the bargaining chambers.

Going forward, Department of Labour Employment Standards Directorate, Assistant Director: Mogodi Masenya said the process to incorporate the inputs received across the country into the Departmental report will begin. He said these will be sent to ECC for consideration before amendments in the Contract Cleaning Sectoral Determination are signed by Labour Minister into law.

Masenya expects the new minimum wage determination to be announced before the end of the year.

Issued by:

Teboho Thejane

Departmental Spokesperson