National Minimum Wage Commission panel appointed

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The Nedlac Committee of Principals comprises representatives of government, labour, business and community charged with, among others, determining the national minimum wage (NMW).

Professor Imraan Valodia, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, will chair the panel of seven experts who will assist Nedlac in setting the level of the national minimum wage, taking into account work done thus far by Nedlac technical task-teams.

Other panel advisors appointed by Deputy President Ramaphosa in consultation with Nedlac social partners include:

• Mamokete Lijane, Aluwani Capital Partners’ macro strategist responsible for macro-economic and fixed income strategy and asset allocation;
  
• Dr Debbie Collier, Associate Professor in the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town;
  
• Professor Murray Leibbrandt, Pro Vice-Chancellor: Poverty and Inequality, University of Cape Town;
  
• Ayabonga Cawe, Economic Justice Manager, OXFAM South Africa;
  
• Dr Siphokazi Koyana, skills development and training expert with local and international experience; and
  
• Dr Patrick Belser (international expert), Senior Economist at the International Labour Organisation.

The appointment of the advisors takes place against the background of consensus among Nedlac social partners to introduce a national minimum wage as part of efforts to restore the dignity of the majority of South Africans; address the triple challenges of poverty, under-development and inequality; and reduce pay differentials while maximising job creation.

The National Minimum Wage Research Initiative at Wits recently launched A National Minimum Wage for South Africa, a year-long study which advances the call for the implementation of the NMW and conclusively shows that the NMW reduces poverty and inequality without negatively affecting employment and economic growth.