THE recent appointment of a seven-member panel of experts by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has the country debating the value and relevance of a proposed minimum wage for all workers.In this debate, it would be helpful to consider sectors that are already paying their workers well above minimum wage and how these sectors rank, when their average salary is considered.At present the national minimum wage range seems to be anywhere from R2,000-R5,500 per month. How this amount is determined and what it includes will be at the heart of the debate for some time, with trade unions demanding a higher minimum wage, and industry arguing for no minimum wage or one that is at the lower end of the scale.The current wage range is very wide, but if one follows the practice of making the minimum wage a percentage of the median wage, then it is likely to be less than R3,000 per month.The median wage is the wage in the middle of a wage bracket, where one half of employees earn less than the wage ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.