Women hardest hit by Covid-19 - Nxesi
The Department of Employment and Labour says women are the hardest hit by coronavirus in the workplace.
The department says 80% of the claims lodged through the Compensation Fund involve women.
Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi says there has been a steady rise in the number of claims.
"The Compensation Fund has received a total of 941 claims to date, with the highest number coming from the Western Cape that has recorded 657 claims. Of that total, 533 are women. In the Eastern Cape, 99 claimants are women out of a total of 127 claims received.”
Nxesi says the department is aware that the pandemic is putting immense strain on frontline workers.
"We would like to send the appeal for employers to ensure that workers are adequately protected and are given the necessary protective gear to do their jobs. Our figures show that most affected employees are nurses who are paying the ultimate price so that we get a second chance and survive the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, we continue to see low levels of compliance with compliance rates hovering at 57% for the private sector and 47% for the public sector.”