Placido Hilukilwa
A NEW minimum wage for construction workers, agreed upon by the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union (MANWU) and the Construction Industries Federation (CIF) last year, was published in the Government Gazette (Number 8326) of 13 March and came into effect on the same day. The new minimum wage for the construction industry will be valid for two years.
According to the new minimum wage rates, a construction industry security guard will earn the lowest amount of N$140.91 per 12-hour shift (about N$11.75 per hour) during the first year of the implementation of the agreement. The rate will be increased to N$146.55 per shift (N$12.20 per hour) during the second year of the agreement. The second lowest rate is that of a labourer: N$18.72 to N$19.46 per hour.
The highest earners per hour include a master craftsman (N$49.59 to N$51.58), a leading hand plumber (N$51.41 to N$53.46), and a leading hand steel fixer and leading hand welder (N$55.03 to N$57.23).
Employers are required to issue appropriate protective wear to their workers free of charge initially, including overalls, safety boots, hard hats, and gum boots, each according to the site and nature of work.
The agreement was signed on the 3rd of October 2023 by Lukas Matias and Bärbel Kirchner for MANWU and the CIF, respectively.
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