Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T23:09:17.988Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Protection of Labour Rights in the Age of Democratization and Economic Restructuring in Southern Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Peter Nanyenya Takirambudde
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The contours of human rights, especially labour rights, have undergone significant shifts in the recent past in Southern Africa. Labour law regimes have been overhauled, resulting in large-scale changes, liberalization of controls over trade unions, loosening of strictures relating to the right to strike, freeing collective bargaining from excessive governmental interference and the extension of protective legislation to previously excluded workers. These developments have been a function of dramatic changes throughout die region. The transition in Soudiern Africa has encompassed die political, economic and legal fabrics of most countries. It has been under way since die late 1980s and is being extended daily. In die constitutional zone, diere is a discernible trend towards the constdtutionalization of social rights, thus settling the debate regarding positive and negative rights in favour of the interdependence, indivisibility and interconnectedness of human rights. The transformation in Soudiern Africa is emblematic of three critical developments: democratization, economic liberalization and paradigmatic transitions in law.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of African Law , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , Spring 1995 , pp. 39 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Van de Walk, N., “Political liberation and economic policy reform in Africa”, (1994) 22 World Development 485.Google Scholar See also Chan, S., “Democracy in South Africa”, (1992) 322 The Round Table 185.Google Scholar

2 Shils, E., “The virtue of civil society”, (1991) 26 Government and Opposition 10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3 ibid.

4 Lipset, L. M., “The social requisites of democracy revisited”, (1994) 59 American Sociological Review 3–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

5 Waelde, T. W. and Gunderson, J. K., “Legislative reform in transition economies: Western transplants—a shortcut to social market economy status?”, (1994) 43 International and Comparative Law Quarterly 360, 377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

6 World Bank, Structural Adjustment and Poverty: A Conceptual, Empirical and Policy Framework, 1990, 22. See also Skogley, S. I., “Structural adjustment and developments: human rights—an agenda for change”, (1993) 15 Human Rights Quarterly 755–756.Google Scholar

7 C. Dias, “Influencing the policies of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund”, in Rehof, L. A. et al. , Human Rights in Domestic and Development Assistance Policies of the Nordic Countries, 1989, 61–62.Google Scholar See also Skogley, above, n. 6.

8 See generally, Nelson, J., “The politics of economic transformation: is Third World experience relevant in Eastern Europe?”, (1993) 45 World Politics.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

9 Sheehan, G., “Labour administration: the response to the crisis”, (1992) 131 International Labour Review 156.Google Scholar

10 Horton, S. M. et al. , “Labour markets in an era of adjustment”, (1992) 130 International Labour Review 531–558.Google Scholar

11 ibid.

12 Sheehan, above, n. 9.

13 Meir, G. M., Industrial Adjustment in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1989.Google Scholar

14 See generally Jurgens, V. et al. , “The transformation of industrial relations in Eastern Germany”, (1993) 46 Industrial and labour Relations Review 229–244;CrossRefGoogle ScholarStanding, G. et al. , “Introduction: labour market issues in Eastern Europe's transition”, (1991) 130, International Labour Review 137–144, and Meir, above, n. 13.Google Scholar

15 Freund, B., The African Worker, 1988, 94.Google Scholar

16 See M. Trstenky, “Market economy and labour—Czechoslovak report”, in Skrifter Utgivna av Jurdiska Foreningen, Lund, Acta Societas Juridicae Lundesis, and Legal Aspects of Market Economy, 1999, 39, 40; and A. Watkowski, “Basis, goals and values underlying Polish labour and industrial relations during the period of political transformation and adaptation to a market economy”, Yearbook of Polish Labour Law and Social Policy, 1991, 38, 40.

17 Y. Ghai, “Constitutions and governance in Africa: a prolegomenon”, in Adelman, S. et al. (eds.), Law and Crisis in the Third World, 1993, 69.Google Scholar

18 Trstenky, above, n. 16, at 38, 41.

19 Takirambudde, P. and Molokotnme, A., The New Labour Law in Botswana, 1994, 31.Google Scholar See also Hughes, A., “Trade unionism in The Gambia”, (1989) 88 African Affairs 549–572.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

20 E. C. Epstein, “Conclusion: the question of labour autonomy”, in Epstein, E. C. (ed.), Labour Autonomy and the State in Latin America, 1989, 276.Google Scholar

21 Takirambudde and Molokomme, above, n. 19, at 32.

22 ibid.

23 U.S. State Department, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993, 103rd Congress, 2nd Session, at 6–7, 170–171, 196–197, 298–299. See also Swiatkowski, above, n. 16, at 38, and Gellner, E., “Civil society in historical context”, (1991) 43 International Social Science Journal 495–496.Google Scholar

24 U.S. State Department, above, n. 23.

25 Skalar, R., “Developmental democracy”, (1981) Comparative Studies in Society and History 710.Google Scholar

26 A. Numhauser-Henning, “Market economy and labour law: Swedish report”, in Skrifter Utgivna, above, n. 16, at 48.

27 ibid., at 47—8, and Trstenky, above, n. 16, at 38.

28 Numhauser-Henning, above, n. 26, at 47.

29 Shils, above, n. 2.

30 Trstenky, above, n. 16, at 38.

31 Jurgens, above, n. 6, at 230–231, 241–243.

32 Nelson, above, n. 8.

33 Rosen, S. M., “Protecting labour rights in market economies”, (1992) 14 Human Rights Quarterly 371, 374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

34 Intelligence Economic Unit [London], various country reports, 1993 and 1994.

35 Sengenberger, W., “Intensified competition, industrial restructuring and industrial relations”, (1992) 131 International Labour Review 139–154.Google Scholar

36 Intelligence Economic Unit, above, n. 34 an d U.S. State Department, Country Reports, above, n. 23, at 170–171, 203, 271, 298, 332 and 341.

37 International Labour Review, 1993, 132 (“Freer collective bargaining”).

38 Rosen, above, n. 33, at 372 and 374.

39 Cottrell, J., “The Constitution of Namibia: an overview”, (1991) 35 Journal of African Law 70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

40 Thompson, C., “Namibia's new labour code”, (1991) 7 Employment Law 99.Google Scholar

41 U.S. State Department, above, n. 23, at 203.

42 Brassey, M., Labour Relations Under the New South African Constitution, 1994, 21.Google Scholar

43 U.S. State Department, above, n. 23, at 6.

44 ibid., at 170.

45 ibid., at 196.

46 ibid., at 147.

47 ibid., at 290.

48 ibid., at 332.

49 ibid., at 341.

50 ibid., at 12.

51 ibid., at 18.

52 ibid., at 147.

53 ibid., at 170.

54 ibid., at 290.

55 Tajdman, D., International Labour Standards in Southern Africa, 1994, 6.Google Scholar

56 U.S. State Department, above, n. 23, at 197.

57 Cheadle, H., “Offensive against unions”, (1989) 2 Harvard Human Rights Yearbook 146.Google Scholar

58 U.S. State Department, above, n. 23, at 23–41, 47, 290, 299 and 341.

59 Cheadle, above, n. 57.

60 U.S. State Department, above, n. 23, at 23–41, 47, 290, 299 and 341.

61 ibid., at 18.

62 Tajdman, above, n. 55, at 7.

63 Brassey, above, n. 42.

64 Thompson, C., “Affirmative action: Namibian portends”, (1991) 8 Employment Law 58.Google Scholar

65 Rosen, above, n. 33, at 381.

66 Takirambudde and Molokomme, above, n. 19, at 42–43.

67 Thompson, above, n. 40.

68 Rosen, above, n. 33, at 379.

69 In the Matter Between G. Mokqya & Morteo Condotte Ltd., Industrial Court of Botswana (IC 6/94), reported in the Botswana Gazette, 19 October, 1994.

70 Numhauser-Henning, above, n. 26, at 58.

71 Rosen, above, n. 33, at 375.

72 Numhauser-Henning, above, n. 26, at 59, and Swiatkowskis, above, n. 16, at 41.

73 In the Matter Between G. Mokaye & Morteo Condotte Ltd., above, n. 70.

74 U.S. State Department, above, n. 23, at 7, 19, 148, 171–172, 197, 204, 276, 299, 333 and 342.

75 ibid., at 7, 197 and 299.

76 ibid., at 9, 148, 172, 290 and 342.

77 ibid., at 276.

78 Brassey, above, n.42, at 11–12 and 18.

79 Rosen, above, n. 33, at 375.

80 ibid., at 378–379.

81 ibid., at 379.

82 Reisman, M., “Constitutionalism in the post-Cold War era”, (1994) 19 Yale Journal of International Law 189.Google Scholar

83 Scott, C. and Macklean, P., “Constitutional ropes of sand or justiciable guarantees? Social rights in a new South African Constitution”, (1992) 141 University of Pennsylvania Law Review 85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

84 J. Elster, “The necessity and impossibility of simultaneous economic and political reform”, in Greenberg, D. et al. (eds.), Constitutionalism & Democracy: Transitions in the Contemporary World, 1993, 267.Google Scholar

85 The Star (Johannesburg) 2 August, 1994 (“Too much pay for not enough work”). See also The Star (Johannesburg) 15 August, 1994 (“World Bank pinpoints exports as key to higher productivity”).

86 Barenberg, M., “The political economy of the Wagner Act: power, symbol and workplace cooperation”, (1993) 106 Hamad Law Review.Google Scholar

87 Cramer, C., “Rebuilding South Africa”, (1994) 93 Current History 211.Google Scholar

88 Van de Walk, above, n. 1, at 495. See also Peterson, D., “Debunking ten myths about democracy in Africa”, (1994) 7 The Washington Quarterly 132–133.Google Scholar

89 Van de Walk, above, n. 1, at 493–494.

90 ibid., at 495.

91 Nelson, above, n. 8, at 455–459 and see generally Nelson, J., “Organized labour, politics and labour market flexibility in developing countries”, (1991) 6 The World Bank Research Observer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

92 Bratton, M., “Beyond the state: civil society and associational life in Africa”, (1989) 41 World Politics 428.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

93 Saich, T., “The search for civil society and democracy in China”, (1994) 93 Current History 3–4.Google Scholar

94 Iipset, above, n. 4, at 1.