THE minimum wage of domestic workers will rise from next month, labour minister, Mildred Oliphant, announced today. Domestic workers who are employed in cities must earn at least R2,065.47 a month, said Oliphant.

She approved the new wage structure for the domestic workers sector following the upward adjustment of the new minimum wage. But today parliament’s  portfolio committee also heard that  domestic workers should be paid a minimum of R3 000 because most of them are single parents. Mpho Maine  was been quoted as telling this the committee public hearing in Rustenburg today.

She is quoted to have said that this amount would enable domestic workers to support their families and would also help them to afford transport. According to Maine, some domestic workers are paid as little as R600 per month in some parts of the country.

The latest R2065.47 relief comes on the eve of the festive season and is in line with legislation to protect workers in South Africa in sectors in which they are likely to be exploited, or where worker organisations and trade unions are absent.