Minimum wage study set for next month

The Namibia Domestic Workers Union plans to commence with a study aimed at determining the basic salary for domestic workers in February, confirmed Alfred Angula, secretary general of the union.
According to Angula, the study will be conducted in all 13 regions across the country in order to identify a suitable amount and how the minimum wage can be implemented, considering the diverse economic and social conditions in Namibia.
This follows after the release of the domestic workers campaign results in December last year which proposed an increase in the wages of domestic workers and an overall improvement in their working conditions.
The campaign was launched in June 2011 in order to give voice to workers as well as for the general public to recommend a minimum wage for domestic workers, with the majority recommending N$2000 per month.
The study will be conducted by the Namibia Farm Workers Union and the Namibia Domestic Workers Union in partnership with the Labour Resource and Research Institute.
The Namibia Farm Workers Union and the Namibia Domestic Workers Union plan to submit a proposal which sets a minimum wage for domestic workers to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in March this year.
The campaign is in line with the International Labour Organisation’s Convention on domestic workers (No 89) that affirms that domestic workers are entitled to the protection of their rights and sectoral determination, which deals with the protection of workers.