TAXI drivers need tougher enforcement of agreed working conditions and pay.
This is according to South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) Eastern Cape secretary Honest Sinana, who said yesterday that the major problem with the taxi industry was its failure to implement and comply with the law as stipulated by the labour department. “Taxi owners do not comply with the basic conditions of employment and the labour department fails to implement the amended sectoral determination,” said Sinana.
“It seems the department is afraid to implement the employment laws and what makes matters more difficult is that taxi drivers are reluctant to engage with the union.”
the The department is to hold public hearings and on-site visits of Labour (DoL) to be held in East London today to review wages and working conditions of employment in the hospitality industry and taxi sectors, part of an annual nationwide consultative process to gather input for the that began about a year ago on February 28 2012 in Mpumalanga.
So far hearings have been held in North West, Gauteng, Limpopo, Western Cape and Northern Cape.
These hearings are held annually just before the start of a new minimum wage review on July 1.
The department’s spokesperson, Page Boikanyo, said that the hearings were for targeted at interested parties such as employers, employees, trade unions, employer organisations and the general public.
The public hearing to review of these two sectors finishes up in early April.
“The Employment Conditions Com mission (ECC) will then use all the inputs from the public hearings to recommend the new determination to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant,” said Boikanyo. – a body that advises the ton sectoral determinations –
In terms of the current sectoral determination the minimum wage for the taxi sector drivers and administrative workers should be R2449 per month or R565 if paid weekly. Workers not elsewhere specified should earn about R1713 a month or R395 a week.
“But most taxi drivers are getting nothing close to this minimum wage,” said Sinana.
According to the Federated Hos pitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) the minimum wage for an employer with 10 or fewer employees is R2240 a month or R517 a week or an hourly rate of R11.49.
For employers of 10 or more the minimum wage is R2495 a month or R576 a week or R12.80 an hour.
Matters to be discussed at today’s hearing include the minimum wage, working conditions, working hours, the number of leave days and termination rules.
The taxi sector hearing will start at 11am and the hospitality industry public hearing will start at 2pm at the East London Labour Centre. —
Taxi drivers minimum wage not met
This is according to South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) Eastern Cape secretary Honest Sinana, who said yesterday that the major problem with the taxi industry was its failure to implement and comply with the law as stipulated by the labour department. “Taxi owners do not comply with the basic conditions of employment and the labour department fails to implement the amended sectoral determination,” said Sinana.
“It seems the department is afraid to implement the employment laws and what makes matters more difficult is that taxi drivers are reluctant to engage with the union.”
the The department is to hold public hearings and on-site visits of Labour (DoL) to be held in East London today to review wages and working conditions of employment in the hospitality industry and taxi sectors, part of an annual nationwide consultative process to gather input for the that began about a year ago on February 28 2012 in Mpumalanga.
So far hearings have been held in North West, Gauteng, Limpopo, Western Cape and Northern Cape.
These hearings are held annually just before the start of a new minimum wage review on July 1.
The department’s spokesperson, Page Boikanyo, said that the hearings were for targeted at interested parties such as employers, employees, trade unions, employer organisations and the general public.
The public hearing to review of these two sectors finishes up in early April.
“The Employment Conditions Com mission (ECC) will then use all the inputs from the public hearings to recommend the new determination to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant,” said Boikanyo. – a body that advises the ton sectoral determinations –
In terms of the current sectoral determination the minimum wage for the taxi sector drivers and administrative workers should be R2449 per month or R565 if paid weekly. Workers not elsewhere specified should earn about R1713 a month or R395 a week.
“But most taxi drivers are getting nothing close to this minimum wage,” said Sinana.
According to the Federated Hos pitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) the minimum wage for an employer with 10 or fewer employees is R2240 a month or R517 a week or an hourly rate of R11.49.
For employers of 10 or more the minimum wage is R2495 a month or R576 a week or R12.80 an hour.
Matters to be discussed at today’s hearing include the minimum wage, working conditions, working hours, the number of leave days and termination rules.
The taxi sector hearing will start at 11am and the hospitality industry public hearing will start at 2pm at the East London Labour Centre. —
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