Minimum wage should be reconsidered, says LaRRI

THE average Namibian farmworker earns N$350 a month despite a minimum wage of N$429 a month being set in 2003, according to a new report by the Labour Resource and Research Institute (LaRRI).

It also suggests adapting the minimum wage to take into consideration different categories of farmers. LaRRI said the information contained in the report, ‘Farm Workers in Namibia: Living and Working Conditions’, was based on visits to about 54 commercial farms and 102 farms situated in communal areas in nine of the country’s 13 regions.The study, released in Windhoek yesterday, suggests farmworkers in Namibia aren’t a homogenous group.For research purposes they were divided into three categories – those who work for white or established commercial farmers; for black, emerging farmers; or for communal farmers.At the launch, head researcher Cons Karamata said white farmers adhered more strictly to the minimum wage requirement, and in most cases exceeded this with workers receiving around N$501 to N$600 a month.Workers on these farms reported more cases of verbal or even physical abuse from employers, however.The study further reveals a complaint by “most workers” on white-owned commercial farms that between 40 and 70 per cent of their income was spent on paying off debt to the employer.”This debt trap makes it impossible for most workers to use their income to improve their living conditions.”On the other hand, workers on black-owned commercial farms earn an average of N$301 to N$400, while on communal farms the average wage is between N$201 and N$250.Karamata said communal farmers felt that the minimum wage was too costly for them, “as they live in poor conditions themselves”.Black commercial farmers claim they are less established than their white counterparts, and often have high debt repayments on their farm loans.”White farmers generally have more experience and might have bought their farms for lower prices,” he said, suggesting that the idea of a minimum wage be reconsidered.”The minimum wage cannot be a blanket agreement.It needs to be reconsidered,” he said.The study recommends that Government, trade unions and employers’ organisations take into account the three different categories of farmworkers in reconsidering the minimum wage.”The minimum wage agreement might need to be renegotiated to take these different income levels of different farmer groups into consideration,” the report says.Registration with the Social Security scheme, a requirement under Namibian law, is another area neglected in the farming sector, according to LaRRI.Only 40 per cent of all workers interviewed were registered with the Social Security Commission, while only eight per cent had ever claimed benefits from the scheme.This is attributed to long delays on the part of Social Security representatives in handling applications and distributing social security cards.The report found that only 14 per cent of all farmworkers interviewed knew about the minimum wage.LaRRI said the information contained in the report, ‘Farm Workers in Namibia: Living and Working Conditions’, was based on visits to about 54 commercial farms and 102 farms situated in communal areas in nine of the country’s 13 regions.The study, released in Windhoek yesterday, suggests farmworkers in Namibia aren’t a homogenous group.For research purposes they were divided into three categories – those who work for white or established commercial farmers; for black, emerging farmers; or for communal farmers.At the launch, head researcher Cons Karamata said white farmers adhered more strictly to the minimum wage requirement, and in most cases exceeded this with workers receiving around N$501 to N$600 a month.Workers on these farms reported more cases of verbal or even physical abuse from employers, however.The study further reveals a complaint by “most workers” on white-owned commercial farms that between 40 and 70 per cent of their income was spent on paying off debt to the employer.”This debt trap makes it impossible for most workers to use their income to improve their living conditions.”On the other hand, workers on black-owned commercial farms earn an average of N$301 to N$400, while on communal farms the average wage is between N$201 and N$250.Karamata said communal farmers felt that the minimum wage was too costly for them, “as they live in poor conditions themselves”.Black commercial farmers claim they are less established than their white counterparts, and often have high debt repayments on their farm loans.”White farmers generally have more experience and might have bought their farms for lower prices,” he said, suggesting that the idea of a minimum wage be reconsidered.”The minimum wage cannot be a blanket agreement.It needs to be reconsidered,” he said.The study recommends that Government, trade unions and employers’ organisations take into account the three different categories of farmworkers in reconsidering the minimum wage.”The minimum wage agreement might need to be renegotiated to take these different income levels of different farmer groups into consideration,” the report says.Registration with the Social Security scheme, a requirement under Namibian law, is another area neglected in the farming sector, according to LaRRI.Only 40 per cent of all workers interviewed were registered with the Social Security Commission, while only eight per cent had ever claimed benefits from the scheme.This is attributed to long delays on the part of Social Security representatives in handling applications and distributing social security cards.The report found that only 14 per cent of all farmworkers interviewed knew about the minimum wage.