Question NW3470 to the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
17 October 2022 - NW3470
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities
(1)How has her department collaborated with other relevant departments to address the gaps in legislation and noncompliant employers in order to ensure that women who are domestic workers do not lose their income for the months that they are on maternity leave; (2) whether her department intends to advocate for measures to be put in place to ensure that some form of health-care benefits is granted to domestic workers by their employers; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW4275E
Reply:
1. The Department is engaging with the Department of Labour and Employment on the issue of Domestic Workers. In August 2022, the DWYPD participated in a dialogue session organized by the Department of Labour and Employment, where its main purpose was to bring together policymakers and partners to build and/or strengthen strategic partnerships that will collaboratively work towards improving access to the Unemployment Insurance Fund and Compensation Fund and other benefits for Domestic Workers in South Africa.
The main challenge the Domestic Sector is experiencing is that majority of domestic workers are not registered, which makes it very difficult for the department of Labour to monitor in terms of the implementation of the labour law.
In this dialogue process, the DWYPD engaged with different National Departments such as the Departments of Social Development; Employment and Labour, as well as with Representatives from the Joint SDG Fund in South Africa: viz. ILO, UNICEF, UN WOMEN; Representatives from civil society, private sector; and Domestic Workers representatives.
This work is ongoing.
2. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities made a recommendation that the that Department of Labour working with DWYPD deploys inspectors to the households to check if they are registered and check compliance in terms of the minimum wage agreement, maternity benefits, medical benefits and other related issues. The DWYPD will continue engaging the Department of Labour and Employment in this regard.
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Approved by Minister
Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane, MP
Date: