The national public hearings into the garden and landscaping services sector continue today, with a hearing in KwaZulu-Natal.
The hearings are taking place across the country to investigate garden and landscaping services in order to formalise the sector and to root out fly-by-night establishments that taint the image of the industry.
Addressing one of the public hearings in Durban today, Department of Labour Assistant Director of Employment Standards, Nkululeko Ngwenya, said it was the duty of the department’s inspectorate to monitor the implementation of the law.
Garden and landscaping services sector establishments have supported the efforts of the Department of Labour to formalise and extend the protection of vulnerable workers. The industry has called on the department to step up policing of the sector.
The department wants to introduce a sectoral determination (SD) that regulates minimum wages in the sector. The idea is to also determine which employees are to be covered by the proposed SD.
Ngwenya said the industry’s new SD could be implemented by the middle of next year once the Employment Conditions Commission has completed its work and made recommendations.
The SD entails aspects that deal with the protection of workers in vulnerable sectors/areas of work. The determination sets minimum working hours, minimum wages, number of leave days and termination rules.
Through the public hearings, department hopes to get input from the sector at large.
The garden and landscaping services sector includes activities such as digging, raking, mowing, spreading, mixing, watering, trimming hedges, weeding, felling or removing of trees or other vegetation or planting under supervision.
The sector currently has no sectoral determination. Most employers, however, comply with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The sector also does not have a bargaining council or forum.
The industry in KZN is in favour of a three-year wage regime starting with a minimum wage of R2 500 and on review, subjected to a consumer price index plus one consideration.
The garden and landscaping services sector public hearings started on 3 September in Klerksdorp, North West and Pretoria North in Gauteng.
Tomorrow the hearings will continue at Protea Hotel in Empangeni and on Friday at department’s offices in 29 Scott Street, Newcastle. There will also be hearings in Limpopo on Thursday and Friday.
The public hearings will next week shift to Mpumalanga, where they will conclude on October 17 at the department’s provincial offices in Witbank/eMalahleni. – SAnews.gov.za
