SADSAWU Salt River

About SADSAWU

The South African Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (SADSAWU) was established with the goal of addressing the lack of legal protections for domestic workers in South Africa. Despite the introduction of new labour laws by the democratic government, domestic workers were notably excluded from these protections.

The history of domestic workers in South Africa is marked by exploitation, particularly during the Apartheid era.

 Despite facing financial challenges, this union worked towards improving the living and working conditions of domestic workers. However, by 1998, the South African Domestic Workers Union (SADWU) was forced to fold due to financial constraints, highlighting the struggle for sustainability in a sector with some of the lowest-paid workers in the country.

Undeterred, a group of domestic workers formed a new union, SADSAWU, in 2000, in KwaZulu-Natal. The union’s main objective was to advocate for the extension of labour laws to include domestic workers, ensuring that they were no longer excluded from the protections afforded to other sectors.

Services

SADSAWU offers a range of services aimed at supporting domestic workers across South Africa.

One of the key services SADSAWU offers is legal support.

Additional Information

The union also fights for the recognition of domestic work as a legitimate and valuable sector in the economy. SADSAWU continues to campaign for fair wages, improved working conditions, and greater respect for domestic workers across South Africa.