GroundUp writes that according to Statistics SA, there are over one million domestic workers in SA, but many will be excluded from the Covid-19 Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (Ters).  

Employers who are not able to pay salaries during the lockdown are compelled to apply for Ters relief on behalf of their employees, but this excludes workers who do not contribute to the fund (often in the informal sector) and undocumented foreign nationals.  According to a survey of about 600 domestic workers conducted by the Izwi Domestic Worker Alliance in April 2020, 79% were not registered for UIF and 11% did not know whether they were registered or not.  The SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (Sadsawu) and United Domestic Workers of SA (Udwosa) have proposed an amnesty for all employers who have not registered their employees and have not contributed to the fund.  In a submission sent to the UIF Commissioner, the unions said the purpose of the amnesty would be to promote compliance with the law and to ensure that domestic workers have access to Ters.  “While no fine will be imposed, employers should be issued with compliance orders to settle the outstanding contributions on registration, or arrange for payment,” their submission dated 4 May indicates.  The unions said domestic workers who have not been paid during the lockdown must be advised to apply for UIF and their applications should be approved “as a matter of extreme urgency”.  All labour centres should be opened to ensure that domestic workers who do not have access to the internet can apply for UIF, said the unions.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Zoë Postman at GroundUp

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