Domestic workers in Botswana are amongst the most marginalized groups in the country stakeholders at a panel discussion on precariousness of work in the domestic sector hosted by the Institute for Labour and Employment studies(ILES) Thursday in African mall revealed with domestic workers complaining of working for excessively low wages
as well as long hours, with no defined leave periods making them vulnerable to physical, mental abuse and unnecessary restrictions on freedom of movement.
Joseph Chingapane, Head of Industrial Relations at Shop Assistant and Allied Workers Union (CASAWU), said “Their work may include tasks such as cleaning the house, cooking, washing and ironing clothes, taking care of children, or elderly or sick members of a family, gardening, guarding the house, driving for the family and even taking care of household pets.
He said, “These women are making around P800.00 pula a month, around the minimum wage. A major problem with this line of work is that the work is divided into live-ins and lie-out maids, where the law does address complexities and gaps that arises out of the nature of the work of domestic workers but it does in very vague terms.”
According to Chingapane the only guidelines are that they must have a decent place to live, good food to eat and adequate time to rest which are very vague and under the employers discretion.
Efforts to unionize domestic workers have stalled because in Botswana unions exist primarily for the sole purpose of gaining work-place recognition and later for advocating for the rights and interests of workers in pursuit of political-economic interests of workers.
“We should lobby the Government to enact a ‘private sector Act,” intended at addressing the statutory gaps and deficiencies that arise out of our laws,” said Chingapane.
He said, “That will stand to protect vulnerable groups.”
According to labour experts the Employment Act cruelly divided an ordinary employee from a domestic employee and stipulated under section 92 of Act that employers do not have to account, to relationship and the conduct envisioned within the scope ad premise of employment relationships.
Section 95 dealing with hours of work and rest days also leaves out the plight of domestic workers.
“Domestic is not respected like other jobs. We have no rights unlike other workers. The employer often does not give you leave days and off days taking decisions arbitrarily in the absence of a written contract. You are also not given a defined job description,” said Magdeline Gontse, Domestic Worker.
She said, “In my own experience I got injured cooking with oil and was hospitalized. When I asked for 6 days leave to recover I was granted it but when I returned I was fired because I had scars on my hand. There was no pension or gratuity. I was expected to look after myself with P1000.00 I was given to see doctor when I got burnt.”
