‘Treat us fairly’: Domestic Workers
“We work abnormal hours, we eat rotten food, we get injured at work, and we are also not getting paid what we deserve."
SEDIBENG.- The local members of the United Domestic Workers of South Africa (UDWOSA) joined their counterparts from all over the country in a march to the Union buildings in Pretoria on Saturday.
The march was aimed at making the government aware of difficulties that are faced by domestic workers in their working environments. Handing their memorandum over to a government official, the workers expressed their wish of having President Cyril Ramaphosa receive the memorandum, unfortunately, he was not there to do so.
Amongst other things, the workers wish the government to address:
- Irregular working hours
- Unfair treatment
- Injuries at work
- Dog (Pit Bull) attacks
- Unfair salaries
The workers said that they are tired of being treated like secondhand citizens and that, like other workers, they deserve better working conditions.
Pinky Mashiane, the President of UDWOSA said, “We work abnormal hours, we eat rotten food, we get injured at work and our injuries are not promptly taken care of, and we are also not getting paid what we deserve. We are worried that President Ramaphosa is not here to receive the memorandum, he was supposed to be here to hear our plea.”
Following the handover of the memorandum, the workers dispersed peacefully.
