#JustIn: Minimum wage for farm workers increases by 10%

The minimum wage for farm workers will increase by 10% from 1 October this year, which means that young, inexperienced workers will now have to receive at least N$6 per hour or N$1,170 per month, if they work 45 hours per week.

This follows negotiations within the Namibia Agricultural Labor Forum, which consists of the Agricultural Employers Association (AEA); the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) and the Namibia Farm Workers Union (NAFWU).

The new minimum wage applies to farm workers on both commercial and communal farms and consists of a cash payment as well as rations.

Farm workers who do not receive free rations have their ration allowance increased to N$650 per month. This means that the value of the basic minimum wage still stands at around N$1,820 per month.

The agreement was signed by the parties involved on 1 September. The forum reminded employers that the minimum wage applies to young farm workers without any experience. The salaries paid to farm workers who already have experience is much higher.

"We are of the opinion that most farm workers are better off than workers in other industries because they also receive free housing, rations, water, electricity and firewood. In other industries, workers have to use most of their salary to pay for this," the forum said in a media release.

The parties also agreed that adjustments to the minimum wage in the agricultural sector must be discussed on an annual basis. Any adjustments will then take effect annually on 1 October to keep the negative effects of inflation on farm workers' living standards to a minimum.