South African urban-area domestic workers must earn R5,11 an hour — up from R4,10, while their rural counterparts must earn R4,15 — up from R3,33 — if they work more than 27 hours a week, says Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana.
The determination took effect on December 1, according to a government notice of November.
Urban municipal areas include Buffalo City (East London), Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Drakenstein, Ekurhuleni, Sol Plaatje (Kimberley), eThekwini (Durban) and Mogale.
The weekly rate for urban areas is R230,10, while the monthly rate is a minimum of R997,04.
For other areas — outside urban areas — the hourly rate is R4,15, the weekly rate R186,69 and the monthly rate R808,92 for more than 27 hours a week.
Minimum wages for part-time domestic workers in urban areas who work 27 ordinary hours a week or less should be paid R6,04 an hour, the weekly rate will be R163,08 and the monthly rate R706,63.
The hourly rate for rural areas will be R4,90 an hour, R132,30 a week or R573,26 a month for those who work 27 hours or less a week.
Provision is made for the rates of pay to go up by CPIX plus 2% from December 1 next year and again in the following year, starting on December 1 2007.
Workers are entitled to three weeks per year annual leave, one day for 17 days worked or one hour for 17 hours worked. Sick leave amounts to the number of days worked during a six-week period during a cycle of 36 months (three years).
Maternity leave amounts to four consecutive months of unpaid leave. Family-responsibility leave for fathers amounts to five days per year.
Previously a worker in an urban area who worked less than 27 hours per week was entitled to R4,51 per hour while one who worked for more than 27 hours would earn R4,10.
In rural areas, workers have been earning R3,66 for less than 27 hours per week and R3,33 per hour for those who worked more than 27 hours per week. — I-Net Bridge