UNIONS HAVE negotiated an average increase of 5% above inflation for their members since 1989, according to the Labour Research Service.
A Labour Research survey says that the average settlement awards by member unions have exceeded the inflation rate by 5%.
While inflation averaged 15% in the five years 1989 - 1994, the nine major union groupings agreed to annual increases averaging 20%. From 1995 - 1999 the average increase was 12,2% compared to an inflation rate of 7,3%. This means that union members gained in real terms by 4,9%.
Not all members scored, however. According to the LRS Bargaining Indicators unskilled labour's real wages have declined by about 1% each year over the last 10 years.
In 1996 the overall minimum monthly wage rate of R1 338 was over 30% more than the household Poverty Datum Level of R1 011. In 1999 the minimum was R1 575, just 11% over the PDL of R1 423.
Unskilled labour is still paid only about half the average rate, and often closer to 25% of the highest award rates in an industry or sector. With unskilled monthly rates of around R750 a month it means a household needs at least two such incomes to reach the Poverty Datum Level of R1 500.
The LRS adds that 'restructuring of the labour market has shed 365 000 jobs over the period 1996 to 1999', and predicts that the unemployed will grow by another 1,5 million by 2003.
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