Domestic abuse

THE Labour ministry in South Africa recently published newly-gazetted minimum wages for domestic workers.

THE Labour ministry in South Africa recently published newly-gazetted minimum wages for domestic workers.

Discussions on salaries are generally sensitive and when the discussion turns to domestic worker wages most get a little hot under the collar. Domestic work is a thankless job which is tedious with long hours.

Interestingly the Act alludes to the fact that domestic workers should not work more than nine hours in a day.

Anything beyond this is considered overtime and they should be remunerated thereof.

However, many will bark at the insinuation of having to pay their domestic workers overtime. Most of us are employed and work an average eight-hour day with tea and lunch breaks. Most of us will demand overtime should we put in extra hours.

We would also strike, should we not get paid our due wage. Yet when it comes to domestic workers we feel they should not enjoy the same liberties that other employed people do.

Why? Well domestic workers are normally the unskilled and uneducated. Domestic work is one of those occupations that requires little skill or training unless of course duties go beyond the basic cleaning and washing to cooking and driving.

Then you have the anomalous situation where Zimbabwean teachers in South Africa double up as domestic workers and as such their duties also extend to doing homework with the children of their employers.

Entry and exit into this profession is almost seamless because of the minimum skill requirements. As long as you are a hard worker with a great attitude you can go far in the profession.

However, certain soft skills will certainly make your more employable and marketable. Because there is a volume of people seeking this kind of work it means domestic workers are the most vulnerable in being hired and fired.

I have often heard some women boast they change their domestic workers like they would their personal underwear. I often think this is quite exhausting.

Imagine having a new domestic worker every week and having to show him or her the ropes, then having to adapt to their ways and methods and trying to integrate them into your life!

I often hear women stating that their domestic worker is now part of the family. I guess that is the aspiration most domestic workers have, to be integrated into the family as opposed to being treated as an outsider only avoidable to clean up.

I can’t imagine wanting to have an arm’s length relationship with a domestic worker who takes care of prized possessions.

Worse still after viewing that video of the Ugandan maid who abused a toddler, you want to be very careful who you entrust your children.

You also want to remunerate them adequately lest they decide to vent their frustrations on your precious children. For me, a minimum wage serves as a floor as opposed to a ceiling.

I reckon anyone who has a domestic worker in their employ has a moral obligation to go above and beyond the minimum wage.

In South Africa this is stipulated as R2 000 in urban areas ($200), but honestly speaking how many of us could survive on that amount? Most of us will drink that amount on a weekend or buy shoes.

Yet be mindful that another human being needs to survive on that amount. Domestic work comes with no pension or medical aid. Domestic workers have children to support and other obligations like school fees and rent.

I often wonder how they cope, and trust me they do. It’s the kind of financial gymnastics I am envious of. So before you harp on about how you house her, feed her and that you are actually doing him or her a favour, put yourself in their shoes.

Let’s not exploit someone else’s desperation to meet our own selfish needs.

Most will cry that they cannot afford to pay their domestic worker more. If you can’t afford to pay them adequately then clearly you should not have one in your employ.

It’s that simple. Go to Europe, it’s only the wealthy who have hired help. How do others get by? Everyone has kith and kin overseas, they can explain to you how things work without a domestic help.

A time will also come in Africa when domestic labour will be priced such that they would no longer be exploited.

Until then remember that charity begins at home. Start by being charitable towards your domestic worker.

Sue Nyathi is the author of the novel The Polygamist. You can follow her on Twitter @SueNyathi