05 Feb

UASA Media Release: 05 February 2025

Statement by Abigail Moyo, spokesperson of the trade union UASA:

Domestic workers remain the most vulnerable and isolated workers with no evident and actual rights like other workers due to the nature of the informal industry they work in.

Following the Department of Employment and Labour’s announcement of the updated national minimum wage, which increases the minimum wage for domestic workers, there are growing concerns that some households may have to dismiss their domestic workers because they cannot comply with the department’s new pay regulations.

Effective 1 March 2025, the regulated increase is 4.4%, equating to R28.79 per hour, in line with inflation. For full-time workers, the new wage translates to a weekly minimum of R1, 295.55 for a 45-hour workweek and a monthly minimum of R5, 613.62 based on a 4.3-week month. This adjustment aligns with inflation and applies to all domestic and farm workers.

UASA acknowledges and welcomes the department’s new remuneration mandate; however, the sector remains under significant financial strain, considering that private households most often employ domestic workers.

Rising costs, economic stagnation, and high inflation have put pressure on household budgets, forcing many to reconsider their expenses, including domestic help.

Considering the demanding financial challenges that have hit most households, UASA encourages households to consider cutting down on other expenses to help alleviate the burden of paying their domestic workers the minimum wage.

For domestic workers, the industry is their livelihood, and the continued hardships in an already fragile market do not need additional retrenchments, as was previously seen during the pandemic.

For further enquiries or to set up a personal interview, contact Abigail Moyo at 065 170 0162.

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