By Staff Reporter
Plans are in the pipeline for the ministry of labour and public service to extend workplace inspections to previously left out groups like domestic workers and livestock herders.
The working conditions of domestic and herdboys have for several years not been paid much attention to, with the ministry of labour only playing a role of setting wage standards for domestic workers.
The minimum monthly pay for domestic workers currently stands at M700 which is regarded as too measly as some toil in conditions not suitable for a workplace.
Now, the working conditions of the workers in the domestic and livestock sectors are to be inspected by the department of labour “in the near future” as part of ensuring occupational health and safety practices at the workplace.
The plans to conduct such inspections were divulged by the department of occupational health and safety of the ministry of labour and public service in a recent interview with theReporter.
A senior field inspector in the department, Mohlomi Phatṧoane has confirmed the plan to broaden labour inspections to both sectors of employment.
“We’re inspectors of health and safety at the workplace. And, as such we have to ensure workers are safe and in a good health environment at their places of work,” Phatṧoane said.
Instances of injuries and unfair labour practices occurring in formal workplaces are usually reported to the department which then suggests remedies to prevent further occurrences.
Traditionally, added Phatṧoane, the inspection of working conditions has been carried out at formal workplaces where the department’s officers assess conditions. But the process has always excluded occupational health and safety practices in the domestic and livestock herding sectors.
According to him, the department also facilitates compensation in instances where injuries have occurred.
“The inspection has been in fields considered to be formal but now the plan is to extend the practice to what are regarded as informal sectors with remunerated employees, including in households that engage domestic workers,” Phatṧoane indicated.
The normal practice is that the department conducts inspections on a regular basis at formal sectors and carries out investigation in the event of any suspicious conditions.
It then warns managers and advises them on prevention of accidents and injuries after identifying any potential hazards.
“After giving remedial advice, we then assess whether such advice is being implemented at the workplace in question. Any persistent failure by the employer to comply with our remedies may lead to being sued,” he pointed out, further urging workers to also report any instances of unsafe work conditions.
“As a matter of fact, those (workers) who are on remunerated employment should also be insured, meaning that there should be a workman’s compensation insurance,” he added.
Following a recent workshop on developing a strategic plan for occupational health, wellness, safety and environmental services for artisanal and small-scale miners in Maseru, Phatṧoane said the inspections will be implemented in that sector.
“In mining sector, we emphasize the use of protective wear and this will also be applicable in the artisanal and small-scale mining,” he noted.
According to the Labour Code Order 1992, the employer “shall, so far as is reasonably practicable, ensure the safety, health and welfare at work of all of his or her employees.”
The legislation explicitly allows for clean, safe workplace with no risks to health. It also prescribes adequacy with regard to sanitary facilities and arrangements for workers’ welfare.
A domestic worker based in Maseru, who declined to be identified for protection from her employer gladly welcomed the plan for inspection of their workplace.
She said nannies – as they are commonly known – are subjected to poor working conditions such as working long hours.
“We work for long hours and are not given enough time to rest. We work seven days a week but are only paid peanuts. The M700 that is paid to me every month is not enough to meet my daily needs. I have a family to look after but I cannot afford it.
“My employer sometimes gives me food stuffs and second-hand clothing to give to my two schooling children who are aged seven and 10.
“I have no leave days like in other workplaces, and I only get to visit my family during the festive holidays.”
She said she had heard of a plan to form an association which would advocate for domestic workers’ welfare and protection of their rights. But she is not aware how far these plans are at the moment.
For his part, a 35-year-old shepherd who herds eight cattle says he looks after the animals every day, even in winter and on rainy days.
Known only as Pule, the herder tells theReporter he is on a six-month contract with his employer at Thota-Moli some 15 kilometres outside the capital Maseru. He does not buy food for himself as his master provides him with enough.
But he admits that his working conditions are harsh.
“I look after the animals both in winter and when it is even raining. I do not have enough work wear such as gumboots and rain coats to protect against wet weather. But I have enough to eat, although the menu is always the same,” he commented.
While welcoming the plan for the mooted labour inspections, he is skeptical about the real feasibility of conducting such an activity given the fact that there are thousands of livestock herders in Lesotho.
“How is it possible for our employers to implement any recommendations to eliminate the untenable conditions that we are subjected to in our daily chores?” he wondered.
There are herders who look after livestock in remote posts where shelter is poor and vulnerable to the elements, especially inclement weather such as snowfall.
