COIDA Awareness Project
A campaign to educate domestic workers countrywide about the constitutional court ruling on 19th November 2020, that all domestic workers in South Africa, irrespective of their country of origin are now covered by COIDA. They will be compensated for work-related injuries and diseases, including if they die on duty.
We need both domestic workers and their Employers to have COIDA working for them. NELA as Employers Organizations will educate, encourage, and convince their members to comply with the Law.
Employers will also make sure that their homes are a safe environment for Domestic workers to reduce negligence. Employers should address and solve issues of uncovered swimming pools, unleashed dangerous dogs and those backyard rooms without alarms and burglared doors.
Domestic workers in all Provinces, whether unionized or not, must be educated and be informed about COIDA and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) because they lack education and knowledge. And Employers must be well informed about both COIDA and UIF.
PROBLEM ANALYSIS
Domestic workers in the past were not covered by Compensation For Occupational Injuries And Diseases Act (COIDA). They couldn't claim from the Government Compensation Fund, for work-related injuries and diseases. There are cases of Domestic of Domestic workers who were injured on duty, others are crippled, while there are those who sustained fatal injuries, with no compensation. Many were blamed for negligence by Employers and others were dismissed after getting injured.
While many Employers are covered by COIDA at their workplaces, others by Insurances, they don't want or wish the same for their Domestic workers. They regard domestic work as informal unrecognized work and Domestic workers as workers who have less rights than them. Other Employers are extreme by thinking that domestic workers are less human and have no rights at all.
We have cases where Domestic workers were dumped at Government hospitals and Employers denying any knowledge or to have employed those injured Workers. Domestic workers are from poor families and stand no chance against wealthy white Employers, can't afford to take Employers to Court.ite Employers, can't afford to take Employers to Court.
Impact
Domestic workers in all Provinces, whether unionized or not, must be educated and be informed about COIDA and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) because they lack education and knowledge. And Employers must be well informed about both COIDA and UIF.
Collecting more cases of Domestic workers who were injured on duty is making the Campaign effective. The Department is relying on me to provide them with cases of injuries on duty as I collect them from different Provinces.
In retrospective cases Employers who are willing to complete WC.1.2 forms to report injuries to Compensation Fund for their former Domestic workers understanding that they will not be personally liable for those injuries, but the Government was ordered by the Constitutional Court to compensate those Domestic workers. The Department is inviting both Domestic workers and Employers to COIDA sessions. Continuation of getting interviews about COIDA from Media.
After putting pressure on the President of RSA for 2 years through Media, finally have signed COIDA Amendment Bill into law. We will use that to intensify our COIDA campaign in collaboration with other Domestic Workers Unions and Domestic Workers Organizations. Have already had a meeting this year with 3 Organizations and have formed COIDA Advocacy Team, which is led by myself and Compensation fund is also on board.
That makes us 3 Non-Government Organizations leading with the Department of Employment And Labour Compensation Fund Team in making Compensation fund to work widely for Domestic workers. As a team we’re putting together the cases we have and make sure that the claims are processed by the Department.
