Penalties are in place to deal with employers who contravene the National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act.

Employers who fail to comply with the act will be shamed as the Department of Labour will publish their names on their web-site. Other penalties include compelling non-compliant employers to pay the worker twice the amount that is owed for non-payment.

There will be no hiding as the department is also undertaking a national blitz to assess levels of the NMW Act. About 1392 inspectors will crisscross the country to monitor compliance. A special focus of the inspection will be on the wholesale and retail sectors as they have been identified as some of the problematic sectors.

“Shaming such employers will ensure they are recognised as people intent on defying the state. This will go on to ensure that they will not be able to do business with government,” said the department’s Chief for Statutory Services Fikiswa Mncanca.

The purpose of the NMW is to advance economic development and social justice by improving the wages of the lowest paid workers, protecting workers from unreasonable low wages, preserving the value of the NMW, promoting collective bargaining and supporting economic policy.

The act, which came into effect on 01 January 2019, stipulates that R20 is the minimum rate workers should earn per hour. For farm and forestry workers it is R18 per hour, domestic workers R15 per hour and for Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP) workers it is R11 per hour. 

These fees will be reviewed annually by the National Minimum Wage Commission.

Meanwhile, the department on Monday 18 February 2019 announced that the Un-employment Insurance Fund (UIF) will be on the road once again to conduct a door-to-door campaign, targeting the areas of Olifantshoek, Postmasburg, Lime Acres and Daniëlskuil. 

The campaign is also meant to promote online declaration through U-Filing for which the team will assist employers on all aspects of registration, compliance as well as to resolve UIF enquiries.

SAnews.gov.za