Domestic Workers
latest news & developments
Domestic workers deserve some dignity and respect
The Dignity in Every Home campaign, backed by key organisations like Izwi Domestic Workers Alliance and SERI, aims to transform domestic work environments in South Africa. It…
South Africa must invest in its domestic workers and set up a dedicated pension fund
They spend most of their lives supporting our families, yet they face old age with little to no financial security
Union demands pension fund for domestic workers
About 850 000 people are employed as domestic workers in South Africa, contributing to 5.2% of the country’s total employment
Africans trapped in Lebanon by ‘kafala’ labour system and Israel’s bombs
With nearly 2 500 people killed in recent Israeli strikes on Lebanon, nobody in the country is safe, and the only help for Africans is from other migrant workers
Survey: 70% of domestic workers not registered for UIF
In its sixth annual report, SweepSouth attributes poor domestic worker pay to power cuts, inflation, the high cost of living and employers relocating
I still reap the rewards of my mother’s prayers
So many strong black women are marginalised and forgotten — and their roles seen as expected and natural
Redefining ‘Madam’
Growing up, no black woman worth her salt would take kindly to being referred to as a “Madam”. The term Madam was reserved for white women who had a black domestic worker. Being…
South Africa hits new unemployment record
The unemployment rate reached 32.6%, the highest since the survey was launched in 2008, in the first three months of 2021
Covid kills a decade of employment growth in SA
The self-employed were nearly three times less likely to work during the hard lockdown, economists found
New minimum wage may close farm, domestic pay gap
These workers could see double-digit increases in their minimum wage
Domestic workers face a lonely battle against abuse
Behind closed doors, domestic workers are vulnerable to workplace violence and abuse, with little recourse against their employers
Abandoned by their employers, Ethiopian domestic workers are left stranded in Beirut
Kicked out of Lebanese homes and denied entry into the Ethiopian consulate, Beirut’s Ethiopian house helpers are being abandoned on the streets
Workers with noncompliant bosses can now access Covid-19 relief scheme
Last week the department of labour announced that more than R14-billion had been paid to workers, but some are still struggling to access the fund
Domestic workers are hit hard by lockdown
According to UIF data, only 15 888 domestic workers, of a possible 673 940, have been paid from the Covid-19 Temporary employer-employee relief scheme
Safeguarding social justice in a time of social distance
People who are self-isolating — the middle and upper class, especially — must take care not to endanger other lives in the process. We must all be human to the humans around us