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Employment & labour minister Thulas Nxesi. Picture: WERNER HILLS
Employment & labour minister Thulas Nxesi. Picture: WERNER HILLS

Employment & labour minister Thulas Nxesi has appointed the second National Minimum Wage (NMW) Commission, which will be chaired by Prof Imraan Valodia. 

The commission provides advice on, among others, the setting of the national minimum wage and sectoral determinations. 

The inaugural commission was announced in 2019 by former labour minister Mildred Oliphant and its term ended on January 31 this year. 

Nxesi said Valodia, who replaces Prof Adriaan van der Walt, is one of the four independent candidates in the 13-member commission.

The minister said the appointment of the new commission was in compliance with the National Minimum Wage Act. The appointments include independent experts, representatives of business, community and labour. 

Members of the new commission will serve for five years.

They are: business representatives Kaizer Moyane, Jonathan Goldberg and Jahni de Villiers, all from Business Unity SA; labour representatives Edward Thobejane (Nactu), Solly Phetoe (Cosatu) and Trenton Esley (Fedusa); and community representatives Isobel Frye (Financial Sector Coalition Campaign), Conti Matlakala (Women’s National Coalition) and Tumelo Zwane (South African Youth Council).

Valodia from Wits University, Dr Neva Makgetla from Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies, Mamokete Lijane from Standard Bank and Gavin Hartford from Stakeholder Solutions are independent experts. 

In addition to reviewing the national minimum wage and recommending its adjustment, the commission is tasked with investigating and reporting to the minister on the impact of the NMW on the economy and collective bargaining. 

The members of the commission are appointed on a part-time basis, and on terms and conditions prescribed by the minister in consultation with the finance minister 

Nxesi said Valodia, a professor of economics and director of the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at Wits, has produced a number of research papers on issues such as inequality, climate justice, competition policy and employment in developing countries. 

In 2018, he was appointed to a panel to advise the minister of economic development on amendments to the Competition Act.

Valodia has also served on a panel of experts to advise the minister of finance on value-added taxes and zero-rating, and the minister of higher education, science & technology on the funding of higher education in SA.

He serves as a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Economic Advisory Council.

TimesLIVE 

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