/ 8 January 2003

SA govt to set minimum wage for taxi industry

The South African government is investigating the taxi sector and the Minister of Labour, Membathisi Mdladlana, expects to announce a minimum wage and prescribe working conditions for the industry by July.

A study into working conditions in the sector is underway and the study’s findings will be used to inform the content of the sector determination.

“The determination, by offering protection to drivers’ employment conditions — which will see workers working more manageable hours for fixed wages — will also promote road safety, because it will lessen the likelihood of exhausted taxi operators,” Mdladlana said.

Research has shown that exhaustion has much the same effect on concentration and driver response times as alcohol or drugs. – I-Net-Bridge