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Article: Domestic workers exploited: Gov
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
Probably suit her just fine when she gets her huge payout.
I've never seen anyone get murdered either.
And you think that'd be enforceable? Please try it.
Geriatrix
Executive Member
Yes, this will result in looots of people losing their jobs.
I have some horror stories too from friends and family. I'd never, ever get a domestic.
zamedic
Well-Known Member
I have a domestic, she works 2 x half days (since we have a small place) - she gets R400 for the week (R396 after UIF)
The problem, stuff has been going "missing" - so I left R40 in a drawer, way back, hidden from view... Now, its gone. I will give her the benefit of the doubt and hope she returns it tomorrow, else she will be dismissed.
So, who exactly is being exploited? She earns R40 / hour which is well above the minimum wage as I do not believe in exploitation. Yet, silverware - missing. Glasses - Missing. There is nothing worse than planning a meal and finding the meat you purchased is gone.
Sorry, for turning this into a rant post.
The problem, stuff has been going "missing" - so I left R40 in a drawer, way back, hidden from view... Now, its gone. I will give her the benefit of the doubt and hope she returns it tomorrow, else she will be dismissed.
So, who exactly is being exploited? She earns R40 / hour which is well above the minimum wage as I do not believe in exploitation. Yet, silverware - missing. Glasses - Missing. There is nothing worse than planning a meal and finding the meat you purchased is gone.
Sorry, for turning this into a rant post.
hungrybeaver
Expert Member
Why wouldn't it be?
Ockie
Resident Lead Bender
What government must start realizing is that they are starting to squeeze the middle class (which is the class that employs the majority of domestics) so hard that sooner rather than later we are gonna have to start letting these domestic workers go and do make do without them. Unemployement rises even further...more people out of work...more people looking to guavamint for handouts...more drain on coffers...more reason for guavamint to look for more reasons to tax us even more in more places.
I wanted to hire a domestic for a day / two a week. I didn't want to deal with theft and possible break-ins that could result. I don't want to have to deal with contracts and tax and UIF and all that crap. One more unemployed person.
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
I'm not suggesting I personally would fire my domestic for joining a union, but I would suddenly find myself being unable to afford a domestic, since it already is touch and go as to whether i can actually afford to have one.
Mike Hoxbig
Honorary Master
There are means and ways around it. One obviously wouldn't state that they're being fired for joining a union - it could always be a retrenchment due to financial difficulty.
Always get things in writing. "Either party may terminate the employment by providing 1 months notice. In the event that your services are no longer needed and/or viable, you will be entitled to x months salary.". That should keep any unions off your back when you're terminating her employment, as you've also made a commitment to pay her a few months salary to cover her living costs while she seeks alternate employment, in addition to the usual 1 months notice thing.
That unfortunately is a longstanding problem.
Because you cannot sign away your legal rights. Employers do get employees to sign unenforceable contracts, and this usually works out fine when dealing with skilled white collar workers because they can usually find themselves alternative employment and will never try anything that would lead to their employer trying to enforce the contract. A low skilled or unskilled person might really need that job and if they decide to fight you it can become a very costly mistake to have had them sign a contract clearly intended to take away their rights.
There's no reason it would necessarily cost you anything more. Have domestic workers even ever gone on strike? If the reason was that joining a union resulted in higher wage demands and you couldn't afford it, then that's quite valid.
But be sure your reason is valid. If she knows her rights she can make a huge amount of trouble. And we basically have people saying they'd fire an employee for no reason other than joining a union. They'd deserve any trouble that came their way.
ToxicBunny
Oi! Leave me out of this...
Currently, when I say its touch and go for me being able to afford a maid... I do mean it, and I have a feeling most people who hire a maid are also touch and go on it being affordable.
If the Union thing were true, I wouldn't EXPECT the real costs to go up, but there are those potential hidden costs such as extra time being spent managing the maid and her employment that would be alot harder to quantify and would then make it non-viable for me to have a maid because the potential for the maid to no longer make my life easier, but considerably harder would be ever present...
If the Union thing were true, I wouldn't EXPECT the real costs to go up, but there are those potential hidden costs such as extra time being spent managing the maid and her employment that would be alot harder to quantify and would then make it non-viable for me to have a maid because the potential for the maid to no longer make my life easier, but considerably harder would be ever present...
I agree, most middle class families I know about can only afford to employ a domestic worker once per week.
When inflation and interest rates go up and people are faced with the choice of defaulting on bond payments and losing their home versus terminating cleaning services, guess which one most people will opt for.
Jase
Executive Member
Now to look at it front an employers point of view. If we look at the history of the unions in our country over the past few years what do we see? Every year there is a 'mandatory' strike. Strike for wage increases, strike in solidarity of another union striking. It even has the name 'silly season' for it. Do we really want to sit with the problems that unions in SA bring to employers?
I was asked to join the union at two companies in times gone by and I refused mainly because I always believed that if the management was not approachable I was not interested in working for the company (granted my position was not at ground level). The same goes for my domestic worker; she can approach me at any time and discuss a wage increase, a loan to cover unexpected expenses and I will always try an help her out where possible.
So no thank you to unions. I'll be more than fair in retrenching my domestic but we'll do our own washing, ironing and cleaning if it comes down to it (which I hope it does not).
BBSA
Honorary Master
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I have a domestic to make my live easier not more complicated. If I need to negotiate with our militant unions then I rather do without one.
I have a domestic at the moment only to help her out. She assisted my mother before she passed away and I felt sorry for her (she is the only bread winner for 8 people). If this comes through she won't join because she knows that the other people she chars for will let her go.
Financially speaking I can already not really justify the cost as she only irons for me, this would mean another 8 people end up going hungry at least some of the time.
Another hairbrain scheme from gov that will backfire
And on a more sarcastic note, this idea is most likely based on how successfully the unions have screwed the economy so far
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Financially speaking I can already not really justify the cost as she only irons for me, this would mean another 8 people end up going hungry at least some of the time.
Another hairbrain scheme from gov that will backfire
And on a more sarcastic note, this idea is most likely based on how successfully the unions have screwed the economy so far
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Shayd
Expert Member
Unionizing domestic workers is an idea that will fly like a lead balloon. Many people would either retrench their workers or they would casualise their relationship and their employees would lose not only a chunk of their income but also their permanence privileges.
This is a "brilliant" idea.
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This is a "brilliant" idea.
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Mila
Honorary Master
I'm in your boat. I have a domestic that I inherited with the house. If I let her go she has to go live in a shack somewhere. All her money goes to helping her son study. I have contacted our lovely government for help. I want to help her get a house. Nothing.
Albereth
Honorary Master
I believe that the only reports that I have seen regarding exploitation or mistreatment of domestic workers has involved some or other person in government or living in Dubai.