Do waiters get their fair share? A case study on the working conditions of waiters

Abstract

In 2007 the working conditions and remuneration of waiters in South Africa changed with the introduction of the Sectoral Determination 14, as an addition to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act no 75 of 1997. One important provision of the Sectoral Determination is the introduction of minimum wages for employees in the hospitality sector, including waiters. The aim of this paper is to investigate the working conditions and remuneration of waiters and to compare their actual working conditions with those stipulated by the above legislation. In order to achieve this aim, the research includes a literature review of the BCEA and Sectoral Determination as well as a survey amongst waiters in Kempton Park (South Africa), investigating the actual working conditions and remuneration of waiters. A comparative study of the actual working conditions is done and the results are compared with the available literature on the topic. From this analysis relevant policy recommendations are formulated.