Minister of Employment and Labour, Mr Thulas Nxesi, launched the Impimpa Hotline to intensify the compliance with the National Minimum Wage, with its adjustments that became active this month with an increase from R20, 00 per hour to R20, 76 per hour.
Speaking at a press conference in Pretoria, Hatfield, today at the Government and Communications System’s (GCIS) Tshedimosetso House, the Minister said the Impimpa Hotline is a tool to assist vulnerable, isolated workers such as domestic workers, to report non-compliant employers at no cost to the complainant.
“You do not need data, airtime, or a smart phone to use the hotline,” he said.
The amount of the National Minimum Wage was increased on March 1st – in line with the Consumer Price Index to maintain the value of the minimum rate.
Later in the year, the National Minimum Wage Commission will publish the comprehensive research into the overall impact of the minimum wage. There will also be a review of the quantum of the National Minimum Wage.
Chief Director of Labour Relations at the Department of Employment and Labour, Mr Thembinkosi Mkalipi, said, “The numbers to dial to report non-compliance is, *134*305# then select the job that you are doing then you press send.
“Thereafter, it will give you all the provinces then you will select the region where you are based, then you will select your nearest labour centre, then you press done.
“The system will ask the physical address of your employer so that the inspector can go and inspect, then press send,” Mr Mkalipi Said.
Director-General of Employment and Labour Department, Thobile Lamati, said the issue of reporting complaints with the department of labour is not a new thing.
“This has always been there, the law makes provisions for inspectors to visit workplaces, irrespective of whether there is a complaint or not, we treat the random inspections as a normal routine, the Impimpa is an additional tool to help complainants and for a wider reach of non-compliant employers,’’ Mr Lamati said.
