DA and Cosatu at loggerheads over national minimum wage
The National Minimum Wage – set at R27,58 per hour - is the floor level below which no employee should be paid.
Picture: Pixabay.com
Thabo Shole-Mashao speaks to the Democratic Alliance's (DA) Matthew Cuthbert and Matthew Parks, parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
The DA wants to scrap South Africa's National Minimum Wage (NMW), which rose from R25,42 to R27,58 per hour on 1 March.
Cosatu calls the DA's position an attack on workers' rights.
Cuthbert says something must be done to address South Africa's unemployment crisis.
"We are not saying we should exploit workers... but if you've been long-term unemployed... you need to be able to get your foot in the door, you need to be able to get experience."
- Mathew Cuthbert, Member of Parliament - Democratic Alliance
"What we are saying as the DA is that ulimatley a number of inviduals are confined to a zero rand minimum wage because they have no opportunity to move up the social mobility ladder."
- Mathew Cuthbert, Member of Parliament - Democratic Alliance
Parks says the DA consistently votes against labour laws designed to protect workers.
"Look at the DA's manifesto. It actually says we want to exempt employers from all labour laws; they even have a problem with maternity leave."
- Matthew Parks, Acting national spokesperson - Cosatu
"There is no labour law which meets the DA's very pure Constantia-Circle standards."
- Matthew Parks, Acting national spokesperson - Cosatu
"It's a strange philosophical concept, the economy is struggling, so what do we do? We blame the victim."
- Matthew Parks, Acting national spokesperson - Cosatu
Last week the DA, including leader John Steenhuisen, staged a protest outside the Cosatu headquarters in Johannesburg to oppose the NMW.
The NMW does not include payment of allowances (such as transport, tools, food, or accommodation), payments in kind (board or lodging), tips, bonuses or gifts.
The NMW is enforced by law and violations are subject to fines.
ALSO READ: Unions welcome minimum wage increase, point out it still falls short of providing decent living
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.