South African truck drivers and other road freight workers are set for a series of wage increases over the next three years after employers and trade unions reached agreement on amendments to the industry’s main collective agreement.
The agreement provides for three consecutive annual across-the-board increases, starting on 1 March 2027.
Workers covered by the agreement will receive a 6% increase in 2027, followed by 5.5% in 2028 and 5% in 2029.
The increases will apply across all chambers covered by the agreement and will run until 28 February 2030.
When will truck drivers get the increases?
The first increase will take effect on 1 March 2027, when wages will rise by 6%.
A further 5.5% increase will come into effect on 1 March 2028, followed by another 5% increase from 1 March 2029.
The agreement also confirms that minimum salaries will increase by the same percentages during each of the three periods.
This means drivers and other employees whose pay is linked to the applicable minimum rates will see their minimum earnings rise over the life of the agreement.
Allowances will also increase
It is not only basic wages that are affected.
The agreement states that allowances will increase in line with the applicable across-the-board increase.
It also notes that the Hazchem allowance and Wellness Fund contributions, where calculated as a percentage of the basic or minimum wage, will increase automatically as the underlying wage increases.
For drivers, this is an important distinction because the amount appearing in a monthly payslip can include considerably more than the basic wage.
What does the deal mean for truck drivers?
The increases provide a three-year wage framework for the road freight and logistics industry rather than leaving each year’s increase to a fresh round of negotiations.
The agreement also introduces several other changes affecting the trucking industry, including a new Super Heavy Motor Vehicle Driver category for drivers operating vehicles with a GCM between 56 tonnes and 150 tonnes.
That category will have a minimum wage of R4,350 per week from 1 March 2027.
For transport operators, the agreement means that labour costs will have to be factored into operating budgets for the next three years.
For drivers, the key dates to remember are 1 March 2027, 1 March 2028 and 1 March 2029.
The agreement covers the period through to 28 February 2030.
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