Cape Town –Labour Minister Mildred Oilphant said on Tuesday that the National Minimum Wage Bill submitted before the National Assembly on Tuesday is a historic achievement – a direct response to the call made in the 1955 Freedom Charter, and a first since the dawn of South Africa’s.
The labour minister presented three amended labour bills before the National Assembly. Thet were the National Minimum Wage Bill, the Basic Conditions of Employment Amendment Bill and the Labour Relations Amendment Bill.
All three bills were passed by the National Assembly and now the next hurdle is the National Council of Provinces for to either concur with the passing of the bill.
Oliphant said, “Every journey starts often with a small step. The journey to address the plight of the lowest paid workers reached a milestone,”
Oliphant acknowledge that even though the bills seemed “mild”, it is still “groundbreaking” in character.
“We must recognise that we may not agree all the time, it is normal to disagree at times.”
The National Minimum Wage Bill, Oilphant believes will address the working conditions of South Africa’s labour force.
She added, “It’s significant that South Africa will join several countries around the world that have implemented the National Minimum Wage as an instrument of economic and social development.”
Photo Credit- EWN
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