Wholesale and retail sector wage increase approved

The dawn of February brought with it brought good news that have put a smile on the face of retail employee, Mantwa Molehe of Botshabelo, after the minister of labour, Mildred Oliphant, approved the 2013 wage increase for the sector.

This sectoral determination applies to all workers in the wholesale and retail sector, including those associated with merchandising, warehousing and distribution operations.

In the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, a manager in this sector will be earning just over R5 488.83, up from R5 159.19 in 2012.

“I have been working in this sector for years now. This increase is not that much, but it shows that at least some progress is being made towards improving our lives. I am single mother of three, so as you can imagine if I earn just over R2 000 a month it is not easy to cater for all their needs. But I am grateful I have a job. There are people out there who are desperately in need of a job,” said Molehe.

Molehe is a cashier who earns just over R2 700 and now, with the new wage increase, she will get just over R2 900 per month.

Managers, supervisors and assistant managers are the highest earners in this sector. But they do not exceed the R6 000 per month. Managers get R5 488. 83; assistant managers earn R5 007. 21, while supervisors get R3 499 in accordance with the new wage increase.

This sector includes supermarkets and department stores. According to this revised minimum wages schedule, employers are supposed to pay their workers in various categories a new wage requirement.

This will apply in all metropolitan and local municipalities in the country.

Oliphant has further made amendments by replacing the definition of supervisor and packers and has added clauses the sectoral determination. The amended sectoral determination requires employers to pay a worker who works for less than six hours on any day for at least an hourly wage of six hours on that day.

“The wholesale and retail sector, which employs 20 percent of the workers in the formal sector, plays a key role in the economy and provides infrastructure, as well as services for the distribution of goods from a supplier to an intermediate or final consumer.

“In terms of composition, it varies from one-man stores to large industry players with thousands of employees,” said the Free State labour department’s spokesperson, Wisani Mavasa, in a statement.

Meanwhile the farming sector wage is fixed at R105, an increase of R39 from the R69 a day. The wage increase is expected to be effective from the beginning of March this year. This means that a farm worker who works nine hours a day will now earn R525 per week or R2 274.84 per month.

Farm workers have gone on strike demanding R150 per day, which is an increase of R81 from R69 per day.

Public hearings were held around the country with mixed reactions from the employers and the relevant trade unions. The contention of the employers was that they cannot afford R150 per day.