The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomed the 2026 increase of inflation plus 1.5% (5% in total or R1. 44) for the National Minimum Wage (NMW), this week.
This increases the NMW from R28,79 per hour to R30. 23, as from 1 March 2026.
The trade union said it is pleased with the progress made with the NMW since it came into effect in 2019 at R20 per hour, with domestic workers then pegged at R15 and farmworkers R18.
They were both equalised with the NMW.
But raised concern about wages of farm and domestic workers, of as little as R6 an hour.
Matthew Parks, COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, said “engagements need to be accelerated with the Presidency, Treasury and the Departments of Cooperative Governance, Public Works and Infrastructure on a road map to ensure Community and Expanded Public Works Programmes’ workers are raised from the incoming amount of R16,62 to the full NMW. It is unacceptable that these workers remain pegged at just under 55% of the NMW. This must now end.”
COSATU also urged government to halt a planned R372 million budget for a Defence Force Day parade and related activities scheduled for the 21 February in Thohoyandou.
“This is a grotesque waste of funds which can be better utilised to address the many pressing needs of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Blowing R372 million on a one-day parade will take wasteful expenditure to new lows for the SANDF and the nation” said Parks.
He also said thousands of members of the SANDF are struggling under some of the most extreme circumstances due to budget cuts and mismanagement.
Picture: Supplied