Historic victory hailed as domestic workers now covered if they get injured at work
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Cape Town - Resources and information for domestic workers now need to be distributed widely to empower them to know their rights, with their inclusion in the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida).
This is the call from unions, lawyers and industry following the gazetting of domestic workers being covered under Coida, meaning employees will now be entitled for compensation in the event they are injured or
contract diseases while on duty.
The SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (Sadsawu) general secretary Myrtle Witbooi welcomed the move.
Domestic workers can now claim for workplace injury, but employers must register
12 March 2021 5:18 PM Sadsawu
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New Coida rules have been gazetted. The next step is for relevant parties to make sure domestic workers do benefit says Sadsawu.
Domestic workers who contract an illness or are injured on the job can now apply for compensation, after the terms were gazetted this week.
The move follows the landmark Constitutional Court ruling last November, ordering that domestic workers be recognised under the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (Coida).
He interviews Myrtle Witbooi, General Secretary of the South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (Sadsawu).
10 March 2021 | Labour
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JANA-MARI SMITH
WINDHOEK
Supporters of a basic income grant (BIG) for Namibia say not only is its immediate implementation feasible but warn that without a BIG Namibia s current economic blues will likely worsen already worrying levels of poverty, crime and other crippling social issues.
“We must consider what the costs are for Namibia if a BIG is not introduced. This includes rising levels of poverty, inequality, unemployment and crime as well as general social tensions. Thus, it seems that despite and perhaps because of the dire economic circumstances, a national BIG would be a necessary intervention as part of a turn-around strategy , labour expert Herbert Jauch warns.
Since it was published, the 2021 Budget has been called out as unconstitutional and austere from many corners. More than 200 social movements, civil society organisations, trade unions and individuals, in an open letter to members of Parliament, have endorsed a call for MPs to reject the Budget and send it back to the drawing board. The current Budget will cut public spending by R265-billion over the next three years in areas which directly affect human rights.
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The letter urges the members of Parliament to use their constitutional powers to send the Budget back to the executive. They should demand that it protects human rights and finds an alternative way of managing public debt, the letter states.