EWN reports that domestic workers are pleading for financial help during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic because the national lockdown has had a devastating impact on their earnings.  

The SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (Sadsawu), which doesn’t have any emergency funds, called on government to make some money from the Solidarity Fund available to its members so they could provide for their families.  General secretary Myrtle Witbooi said:  “We have quite a big fight on our hands and we try every day to see how we can get help for the domestic sector.  Currently, we are receiving calls from domestic workers complaining about not having money and food.”  Meantime, home cleaning online platform SweepSouth has raised more than R7 million from donations to help support its members.  The booking service for domestic workers plans to support its members for three months through crowd funding and donations from its investors.  It aims to raise R12 million to pay workers registered on its platform between R150 and R450 every week.  Payments have already been made this week to SweepSouth members.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mia Lindeque at EWN

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