Business dragging its heels on minimum wage - Cosatu

Labour federation Cosatu has accused business of dragging its heels on the implementation of the national minimum wage, saying issues that had already been agreed to were now stalling talks. Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini is quoted in Business Day as saying that the agreement that had been signed at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) was being challenged by business partners who were insisting on a four-hour minimum working day, among other contentious clauses. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa would be called on to intervene, Dlamini said. The report says the proposed legislation that sets the national minimum wage at R20 an hour was agreed to in February and is expected to come into effect in May 2018, but parties in a Nedlac task team set up for its finalisation are concerned about its slow progress. Business was ‘largely’ to blame for the delay. ‘Even right now when all has been agreed to, they are trying to get us to reverse on the issues that have been agreed on… We are not going to allow that,’ Dlamini said.