GroundUp reports that nearly three years since the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ordered that domestic workers be included in legislation aimed at giving them better occupational protection in the workplace, domestic workers still struggle to get compensation, and they also suffer widespread abuse and unfair treatment by employers.

A hundred domestic workers gathered at the Union Buildings on Friday to hand over a memorandum to the Presidency. “The rights of domestic workers are still being violated. They are suffering from sexual abuse by employers, they are being attacked by dogs, and are being exploited without any compensation. And nothing is being done about it,” said Pinky Mashiane of the United Domestic Workers of SA (Udwosa). In a landmark ruling in November 2020, the ConCourt ruled that domestic workers must be covered by the provisions of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA) and that damages could be claimed for work-related injuries, illnesses and death. Despite this ruling, the union is still inundated with calls for help from workers. Udwosa has found that many domestic workers across SA are still not registered with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) or for Compensation for Occupational Injuries and they earn well below the national minimum wage. On 1 March 2023, a new minimum hourly wage of R25.42 came into force. Eunice Dladla of the SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union indicated: “Employers do not want to comply with labour laws. We have found that it’s only a few who give their domestic workers the stipulated minimum wage. They are ill-treated, undermined and discriminated against by employers.”

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kimberly Mutandiro at GroundUp

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