The Department of Labour needs to decisively act against obstinate employers who refuse to comply with the National Minimum Wage Act
14 March 2019
COSATU notes with disillusionment the Department of Labour (DOL)’s commitment to name and shame employers who fail to pay the National Minimum Wage (NMW) by the end of March. Whilst this is important and will hopefully help put pressure on intransigent employers comply with the NMW Act, it is a big problem that the department is only doing this three months after the NMW came into effect.
The Department of Labour needs to really appreciate the plight of the workers and the impact that their lackadaisical attitude have on their livelihoods. It is saddening to see that workers, in this country, continue to be let down by their own government, which panders to every whim of these employers.
The National Minimum Wage Act and related Regulations which the DOL drafted and that were agreed to by business and labour at Nedlac in 2018, require the government to do the following:
- Publish on the DOL website all employers who have been granted NMW exemptions.