Red October Campaign Mobilises Domestic Workers in Kwazulu Natal

31 October 2003

As part of the 2003 Red October Campaign of the South African Communist Party (SACP), General Secretary Blade Nzimande will later on today address a Domestic Workers' Assembly in KwaZulu Natal.

This assembly will be held as follow:

DATE - Friday, 31 October 2003

TIME - 15h00 to 17h00

VENUE - Hillcrest Library Hall, Pinetown, KwaZulu Natal

This assembly is part of mobilising domestic workers around their rights in terms of the law. This follows various reports that the SACP in KwaZulu Natal has received regarding abuse and exploitation of domestic workers in the Pinetown area.

Domestic workers constitute one of the most vulnerable sections of workers. Domestic workers are in isolated, individualised employment relationships, subjected to highly unequal power relations. They are subject to the worst forms of exploitation, precisely because the work they do is part of the unpaid labour of women in our society. As such they are amongst the workers most in need of strong state intervention which protect their rights and which goes some way towards equalising the power relationship. And thus the focus of the Red October Campaign on mobilising domestic workers.

The 2003 Red October Campaign is a start of the SACP's contribution to the mobilisation an organisation of domestic workers into trade unions and to provide help and support through advice offices. Through the Red October Campaign the Communist Party intends to generate a momentum to mobilise domestic workers and to educate them around their rights.

The SACP believes that the Department of Labour has to invest substantial resources to ensure the effective enforcement and compliance of the relevant laws protecting domestic workers' rights.

CONTACT

Themba Mthembu

SACP Provincial Secretary in KwaZulu Natal - 031 301 3806 or 083 303 6988

OR

Mazibuko Kanyiso Jara (surname Jara)

Department of Media, Information and Publicity

South African Communist Party

P.O. Box 1027, Johannesburg, 2000

3rd floor, COSATU House, 1 Leyds Street, Braamfontein, 2017

Tel - + 27 11 339 3621, Fax - +27 11 339 4244/6880

Cell - +83 651 0271

Email - mazibuko@sacp.org.za