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https://reasonstobecheerful.world/south-africa-domestic-worker-rights-unions/>
"Myrtle Witbooi’s epistles are classics. She can talk for hours about the
ongoing struggle to dignify domestic work in South Africa: the sweet victories,
witful tactics, enduring limitations and hopes held high.
The secretary-general of the South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers
Union (SADSAWU) recounts one such effort to grant domestic workers access to
the government’s Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). The UIF, which provides
short-term relief to people who are unemployed or on temporary leave, is more
than just an economic lifeline — it de facto defines who is recognized by the
government as a legitimate worker.
Yet until April 2003, despite a protracted campaign waged by Witbooi and her
collaborators, domestic workers were not eligible to receive relief from the
UIF. So, when petitions and presentations failed to change the minds of
officials, Witbooi and her crew decided to cause a very public scene.
“Five domestic workers, myself included, we chained ourselves to the gate of
the government (office),” she recalls. “The next day, they called us in to
talk.” The tactic worked. Two weeks later, the inclusion of domestic workers
in the UIF was announced.
It was but one example of how South Africa’s domestic workers have learned to
flex their political muscle to great effect, winning a string of landmark labor
protections."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
