"We do not want to speculate on the figure, but our independent study showed that conditions of farm owners are different. Some can afford a wage that others can't"
FARMWORKERS and farmers will know next week what the new minimum wage for farmworkers will be.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant will announce the new sectoral determination in Pretoria on Monday, her ministry said yesterday.
The minimum is set to be implemented on March 1.
The ministry agreed to reconsider the sectoral determination in the wake of violent strikes in Western Cape, especially in the De Doorns area, during which thousands of farmworkers pursued their demand for a R150 wage a day from the current R69.
The employers organisation, AgriSA, refused to say how much would be acceptable to its members, while the workers union said it expected nothing less than R100 a day.
"We do not want to speculate on the figure, but our independent study showed that conditions of farm owners are different. Some can afford a wage that others can't," Anton Rabe, chairperson of AgriSA's labour committee said.
He said AgriSA hoped the ministry had considered these factors before arriving at its final decision.
The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) was upbeat that the government's announcement would be favourable to farmworkers.
"We hope that the labour minister will take into account sentiments that workers expressed during the strike. We are looking at a minimum wage of between R100 and R110," Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said.
He said it would be unwise for the government not to legislate farmworkers's wages, given the vulnerability of workers.
"The level of unionisation is very low among farmworkers and the level of abuse very high. We cannot rely on the bosses to implement a wage agreement that is not legislated," he said. - mabuzak@sowetan.co.za
New farm wages ready
"We do not want to speculate on the figure, but our independent study showed that conditions of farm owners are different. Some can afford a wage that others can't"
FARMWORKERS and farmers will know next week what the new minimum wage for farmworkers will be.
Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant will announce the new sectoral determination in Pretoria on Monday, her ministry said yesterday.
The minimum is set to be implemented on March 1.
The ministry agreed to reconsider the sectoral determination in the wake of violent strikes in Western Cape, especially in the De Doorns area, during which thousands of farmworkers pursued their demand for a R150 wage a day from the current R69.
The employers organisation, AgriSA, refused to say how much would be acceptable to its members, while the workers union said it expected nothing less than R100 a day.
"We do not want to speculate on the figure, but our independent study showed that conditions of farm owners are different. Some can afford a wage that others can't," Anton Rabe, chairperson of AgriSA's labour committee said.
He said AgriSA hoped the ministry had considered these factors before arriving at its final decision.
The Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) was upbeat that the government's announcement would be favourable to farmworkers.
"We hope that the labour minister will take into account sentiments that workers expressed during the strike. We are looking at a minimum wage of between R100 and R110," Fawu general secretary Katishi Masemola said.
He said it would be unwise for the government not to legislate farmworkers's wages, given the vulnerability of workers.
"The level of unionisation is very low among farmworkers and the level of abuse very high. We cannot rely on the bosses to implement a wage agreement that is not legislated," he said. - mabuzak@sowetan.co.za
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