No delay in minimum wage for farm workers

2003-02-24 20:54

Pretoria - Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on Monday rejected an appeal by the leadership of Agri-SA to delay the implementation of a new minimum wage for farmworkers, the minister's office said.

Mdladlana's spokesperson, Snuki Zikalala, said in a statement the minister met Agri-SA at the request of the farming body.

The meeting was used by both parties as an opportunity to "amicably" discuss the minimum wage which comes into effect on March 1.

Agri-SA asked the minister to postpone the new regulations by six months and to reduce the level of the minimum wage because of its potential impact on commercial farming.

Mdladlana, however, said it would be impossible to tamper with the law as millions of workers were expected to benefit from sectoral determination of minimum wages.

He said discussions on basic conditions and minimum wages for farmworkers started in 1997 and Agri-SA had been fully represented in the Employment Conditions Commission (ECC), which advised the minister on the sectoral determination, Zikalala said.

The new regulations would bring poverty relief to 1.2 million workers employed in agriculture and would promote stability in the sector, the minister said.

Review of geographical demarcation

During the meeting, the minister indicated that he was prepared to ask the ECC to review the geographical demarcation - stipulating where the minimum wage should be paid - once the sectoral determination has been in place for at least 12 months if need be.

The minister would also convene a meeting of all social partners to look at the level of the minimum wage

Agri-SA was not the only major player in commercial farming.

"I would like to see stability in this sector as it plays an important role in the economy," the minister said.

"All social partners will have to be fully consulted and their concerns will have to be addressed. We will not allow a situation where workers will be retrenched or exploited in South Africa," he said.

He advised farmers who could not afford the minimum wage to apply for variations or exemptions. Variations would be considered where farmers could show just cause and met with the requirements of consultation and submission of financial statements.

The minister said he would like to have strong employer organisations and strong trade unions that would then form a bargaining forum where conditions of employment and wages could be negotiated and set.

He said because of no such bargaining forum existed, he was forced as minister to devise and enforce a minimum wage to protect vulnerable workers.

He advised Agri-SA to encourage workers to join trade unions.

- SAPA