Focus on new minimum wages for hospitality sector
Sectoral Determination comes to an end on 30 June this year
AFTER three years of reviewing proposals for new minimum wages for the hospitality sector, the Department of Labour (DoL) will end public hearings tomorrow (Friday).
During the process, the department went on various site visits to assess conditions of employment and consider proposals for increases.
The Hospitality Sector’s Sectoral Determination legislation comes to an end on 30 June, which will outline new minimum wages, number of leave days, working hours and termination rules among other conditions of employment.
Public hearings have been held in all provinces to engage with industry stakeholders since 10 February.
In terms of the minimum wages for employees for the period 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 for establishments with 10 or less employees, the current minimum wage is R2 760,59 per month, R637,10 per week and an hourly rate of R14,15.
For those employers with more than 10 employees, the minimum wage for the same period is R3 076,98 monthly; R710,12 weekly and R15,77 hourly.
‘The Sectoral Determination covers any commercial business or part of a commercial business in which employers and workers conduct activities for reward in a hotel, motel, inn, resort, game lodge, hostel, guest house, guest farm or bed and breakfast establishment,’ said the DoL.
‘This includes short stay accommodation, self-catering, timeshare, camps and caravan parks.
‘It also includes restaurants, pubs, taverns, cafés, tearooms, coffee shops, fast food outlets, snack bars, industrial or commercial caterers, function caterers, contract caterers and includes all activities or operations incidental to or subsequent on any of the activities mentioned above.
‘The Hospitality Sector Sectoral Determination, however, excludes workers and employers involved in the trade of letting of flats, rooms or houses.
‘It also excludes all workers and employers covered by another sectoral determination in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and areas that are covered by a Statutory Council or a Bargaining Council.’
