At the last minute, Cosatu pulls out of ceremony to sign minimum wage deal
Union federation Cosatu says it will not attend the signing of an agreement on the national minimum wage on Tuesday because its central executive committee (CEC) has to discuss and endorse the document first. After two years of negotiation in the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), parties had set the levels for the national minimum wage at R20 per hour, to take effect from May 1 2018. A signing ceremony was expected to be held in Cape Town, with President Jacob Zuma due to attend, and all parties were expected to sign off on the agreement. But Cosatu pulled out at the last minute, saying it would not attend the signing ceremony as it had to obtain a mandate from its CEC — its decision-making body — which would take place at the end of the month. This meant that Zuma’s anticipated announcement of the national minimum wage during his state of the nation address on Thursday would also be watered down due to Cosatu’s withdrawal.
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