A report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) says that domestic workers are among the least protected workers in almost every country.
A new report on the ILO's website revealed some of the following facts:
1. There are about 1-million women employed as domestic workers in South Africa‚ according to a report by the International Labour Organisation.
2. South Africa and Mauritius are the only two countries on the continent to have ratified the ILO Convention No. 189‚ which established the first global standard designed to extend labour protections for domestic workers.
3. There are about 67-million domestic workers throughout the world‚ and about 5.2-million in Africa.
4. About 60-million of these have no social protection or benefits.
5. In Africa‚ domestic work is a significant source of employment‚ accounting for 2.2 per cent of labour force‚ according to the ILO.
6. In SA‚ domestic workers must work at least 24 hours a month to qualify for sickness benefits.
7. Domestic workers in SA were incorporated into the Unemployment Insurance Fund in 2003.
8. In SA‚ domestic workers can join the SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union to represent them.
9. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act was passed in 1993‚ but only extended to domestic workers in 1997.
10 The Labour Relations Act was passed in 1996 to legalise the unionisation of domestic workers.
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