Monitoring International Labor Standards International Perspectives: Summary of Regional Forums (2004) / Chapter Skim
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6. Nongovernmental Organizations and Academics
6. Nongovernmental Organizations and Academics
Pages 67-87
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From page 67... ...
As Emilia Roca of Argentina's Directorate of Statistics and Censuses pointed out earlier (Chapter 3) , the decline in pension contributions as more workers are excluded from the social security system has been a fundamental factor in the recent economic crisis in Argentina.
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From page 68... ...
Fuentes said that case studies are also used to provide additional information on particular sectors, and investigation and follow-up of worker complaints have led to the identification of systematic violations of core labor standards and occupational safety and health standards in Guatemala.
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From page 69... ...
ARNE GROENNINGSAETER FAFO SOUTH AFRICA, SOW AFRICA Mr. Groenningsaeter described Fafo, which consists of several international research institutes and was founded by the Norwegian Federation of Trade Unions.1 Fafo South Africa has carried out research in several Afri~Additional information on Fafo is available at ww~v.fafo.no/english/
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From page 70... ...
Mr. Groenningsaeter discussed a Fafo labor force survey, which identified a higher rate of unemployment at 32 percent than previous statistics from South African household surveys.
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From page 71... ...
The Trade Disputes Act, he said, sets out procedures for settling disputes and establishes an Industrial Court but, significantly, denies the use of strikes, making it a "barking not biting dog." Turning to assessments of compliance with the core standards, Professor Iyanda said that there are 22 unions in Botswana, and they are affilliated with the Botswana Federation of Trade Unions (BFTU)
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From page 72... ...
Last, he said, there is a need to encourage the flow of foreign direct investment and promote economic growth to "foster a good environment for the maintenance of standards." E VANCE KALULA UNIVERSITY OF GAPE TOWN, SourH AFRICA On behalf of Ann-Marie van Zyl from the South African Department of Labour, Professor Kalula gave a presentation on labor relations in South Africa and the role of the Employment Conditions Commission (ECC) , of which he is a member.
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From page 73... ...
The regulation at the heart of the ECC's work the BCEA—authorizes the minister of labor to establish employment conditions for a particular sector, area, or class of employees. These sectoral determinations supplement the legal framework and are "the main vehicle for putting the minimum labor standards into effect" because they focus on a wide range of issues, as shown in Box 6-2.
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From page 74... ...
This industry began in Nepal in the mid-1960s as part of a resettlement program for Tibetan refugees in the Kathmandu Valley. By the beginning of the 1 990s, carpets had become the top export from Nepal in terms of foreign exchange earnings and employment generation, attracting thousands of rural adult and child workers.
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From page 75... ...
In its monitoring of 470 licensed factories to date, RUGMARK has identified 979 child laborers, removing nearly 470 ofthose children. Rehabilitation programs have been offered to 367 children, and 83 of them are still receiving educational support from RUGMARK.
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Ad KAUFMAN KENAN INSTITUTE ASIA, THAILAND Mr. Kaufman gave a brief introduction to the Kenan Institute, where he is the deputy manager of the Labor Standards Advisory Service.
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Mr. Kaufman noted some of the key obstacles to labor standards compliance in Thailand (Box 6-41.
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From page 78... ...
Kaufman said one of the overall aims of implementing voluntary standards and codes of conduct is to raise the competitiveness of Thai industry. This is of particular concern as the Multi-Fiber Arrangement Regarcling International Trade in Textiles which allows importing countries to apply quantitative restrictions on textile products is scheduled to end in 2005.
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From page 79... ...
Kritz concluded by saying that this information would include those sources discussed by other presenters household surveys, social security systems, company surveys, and administrative records but should also incorporate private sources. For example, the organization he directs, the Society for Labor Studies, conducts a monthly survey of 200 leading enterprises; these surveys gather information on salary policies, working hours, contracts, and bargaining practices.
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From page 80... ...
Mr. Kumar added that India's labor laws do not apply to the informal economy in India's rural areas—where the vast majority of child laborers are found- and that "the issue of child labor does not receive much political attention." While there are a "hanclful of NGOs" working against child labor, Mr.
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From page 81... ...
Muller reviewed the challenges of identifying and measuring informal employment in South Africa. In her research, she examined nationally representative household data, identifying particular problems in collecting data on informal employment.
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From page 82... ...
· Secondary employment: While the South African household surveys may indicate whether persons hold a second job, details on that job are not collected, making it impossible to determine whether the secondary employment is formal or informal. · Illegal activities: It is unlikely that these individuals will be reported as gainfully employed.
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From page 83... ...
After an overview of the labor rights provisions found in the Constitution and national legislation of Mauritius, Professor Torul discussed the "proliferation of unions" in the country. The requirement of a minimum of seven members to register a union, he said, has allowed the formation of many small unions, and Mauritius now has 350 unions for a workforce of 400,000.
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From page 84... ...
Professor Torul stressed the importance of proper enforcement of labor laws. Also, he said, "Mauritius needs to review the Industrial Relations Act and revise the Remuneration Orders and amend important provisions of the Labour Relations Act and perhaps update and empower the National Research Bureau and the Pay Research Bureau." During the discussion that followed his presentation, Professor Torul responded to several comments concerning the multiplicity of unions and unlawfid dismissals in Mauritius.
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From page 85... ...
In the city of Durban, for example, "new forms of work are emerging," including waste collection, guarding parked cars at the beach, and operating telephones on the street for a small fee. Professor Webster said that there is "quite a transformation of what we unclerstand by work and employment." Within the SADC region, the large size of the informal economy and the population perhaps 50 percent who live in former "homelands" in South Africa and on communal land in Zimbabwe means that labor standards focus on only a "small slice of the cake." This prompted Professor Webster to raise the funclamental question, "Do labor standards really matter in a developing country?
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From page 86... ...
This has facilitated efforts such as the global anti-sweatshop movement and, locally, the impact of European consumer groups in changing the "feudal-type relations" on ZimbaLwe's cut-flower farms to a more conventional system of contractual employment. Professor Webster concluded by discussing the tension between the isle of universal labor standards and national sovereignty, as countries struggle to develop policies that can both generate employment and protect workers' rights.
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From page 87... ...
NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ACADEMICS 87 set of standards could have unintended consequences." In the development and implementation of these standards, Professor Webster said, workers— including those in the growing informal economy must have a voice. Organized labor must make inroads into the informal economy, he said, or it will face a loss of legitimacy.
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