South African Federation of Trade Unions – SAFTU
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) strongly condemns the abuse of a domestic worker by some members of a household she was working for. The shocking revelations by United Domestic Workers of South Africa (UDWOSA) recounts the lived horrors of sexual harassment, sexual abuse and super-exploitation of the poor migrant worker by her employers.
The employers, who clearly do not respect the labour laws and human rights statutes in this country, used the poor migrant worker from Zimbabwe as a slave and an object for their sexual pleasures. The husband, wife and one of their sons, sexually harassed and abused the poor woman in their home in Pretoria.
Local and foreign employers take advantage of especially migrant labourers who having escaped the socio-economic woes and political instabilities in their countries of birth, have found refuge in this country in the hope of living a better life. These employers use this precarious position and vulnerability of the desperate migrants to super-exploit them i.e. have them work for longer hours for extremely meagre compensation. In other instances like this one, they take advantage and sexually abuse them.
SAFTU supports the steps taken by UDWOSA in seeking justice and legal recourse for the poor worker in the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) for the unceremonious dismissal, and with the South African Police Service (SAPS) for the sexual abuse.
We pledge our heartfelt support for the traumatised domestic worker and demand justice for her. The employers should not be let free, and the husband and wife who employed her must be fined and sentenced to prison in accordance with correct legal that deals with sexual assault. The law must protect the vulnerable against the rich and powerful.
We encourage domestic workers to report cases of abuse, and join trade unions so that they can have a platform and courage to report and pursue cases of abuse. We call on employers to not take advantage of vulnerable domestic working people, but to respect the human rights of their employees and operate within the legal prescripts of labour law.
