Pretoria Domestic Workers in focus as labour inspectors check compliance

Labour Department officials have decided to extend with a week their one-day blitz inspections of domestic employers in and around Pretoria that took place last Thursday.

Inspections over the next five days will specifically focus on registration with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and compliance with the set minimum wages and other working conditions affecting domestic workers.

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, told Cape Town domestic workers during his visit in Camps Bay last Thursday that worker rights were not only about money, but said working conditions were as equally important.

Cape Town domestic workers told the Minister that they were still being paid less than the stipulated amounts for the sector. Some were being paid as little as R800 in area A (highly urbanised area) instead of R1 066.90. They also raised issues relating to maternity leave benefits, the UIF and the visibility of inspectors.

In December last year government stipulated a R1 066.90 monthly wage for domestic workers working for more than 27 hours per week in urban areas, while those in rural areas received R865.54 per month.