ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Contract cleaning workers and employers in South Africa's Northern Cape have proposed a minimum wage increase of R500 (34 euros) a month for the sector, in order to help workers catch up with the standard of living.

The matter was discussed during the Department of Labour (DoL) public hearings in Johannesburg, Kimberley and Nelspruit recently. The purpose of the nationwide public hearings is to consult interested parties on the review of the minimum wage for the sector.

The department's deputy director: employment standards (ES) Shaun Feldman said the purpose of the review process was to protect vulnerable workers. He added the new review will be applicable for three years once it comes into force - in years two and three the increase will be implemented on the basis of a minimum wage of the previous year plus consumer price inflation.

The current rate per hour for the contract cleaning sector is set at R15.69 (just over one euro) in major metropolitan areas and the rest of the country is fixed at R14.21 (0.97 euros) per hour.