Mixed reactions to minimum wage proposal
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the proposed national minimum wage.
A panel tabled its report on what it believes the starting point for wages should be.
It found that R3500 - or R20 an hour - should be the starting point on discussions countrywide.
Various stakeholders, including government, business and unions, will now discuss this report.
The panel hopes the country will come to an agreed national minimum wage by January.
Ramaphosa stressed that this was merely a proposal - and not a suitable living wage.
He believes it is a step in the right direction.
"Clearly this in not a living wage. I think we need to be clear on that. We still need to look at the wage structure in our country collectively," says Ramaphosa.
Mixed reactions
The EFF says it rejects the announced proposal, because it favours business at the expense of workers.
"The proposal will not lead to the desired resolution of the problem of inequality, instead it is going to institutionalise these inequalities at low poverty wages," says EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
Ndlozi says the party has tabled a minimum wage of R4500 to parliament based on figures from 2014, which is two years ago.
"Since then (two years later), inflation has increased by more than 6%. This means the initial R4500 proposal by workers/labour should now be set at about R5000," says Ndlozi.
Neil Coleman, who is representing labour in the task team on wage inequality, says they are cautiously optimistic.
"We are now going to our structures who will be considering the recommendations and we will come back with a response in the negotiations within the next couple of weeks," says Coleman.
Coleman says it's time for South Africa to wake up.
"Get real and look at the conditions people are facing in the country. Look at what the majority of workers are earning in this country. R3500 is too low, but we need to see this as a stepping stone," says Coleman.
Fedusa's Dennis George says he is glad the panel looked at farm workers specifically.
"That is a very labour intensive sector and we don't want to disrupt the relationship. There is a lot to be discussed relating the domestic worker issue as well," says George.