I am receiving daily queries from workers in various positions asking whether they are entitled to the same pay as their colleagues who are doing the same job.
If people are doing the same job and they have a similar length of service and similar qualifications then they should be earning the same.
It is absolutely vital that if people have similar skills and qualifications (including prior learning and experience) and that they have similar responsibilities, they should be paid the same as their colleagues. Women are entitled to be paid the same as men and the races cannot differ.
Our legal framework is outlined in a Code of Good Practice on equal pay for work of equal value as set out by the Employment Equity Act.
Any employee who is feeling aggrieved about this situation should not only challenge it but pursue it through the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration.
South Africa has a legacy of discrimination in relation to pay and benefits and this can only be properly tackled if each individual stands up for their rights.
Michael Bagraim
Cape Town