The Transforming Corporate Governance Programme provides the labour movement with strategic company research on South African multinational corporations operating in sub-Saharan Africa. The research relates directly to the conditions of employment of workers. We maintain the South African Multinational Corporations Database, which is a repository of financial, operational and governance information of 91 South African MNCs operating in sub-Saharan Africa. Using our research and information, UNI Global union affiliates in the Shop Steward Alliance networks are able to engage large multinational retail companies in a more coordinated way and push for better conditions of work in the African countries in which they operate.
Research themes
Future of work
We are actively developing our understanding and ability to talk to trade unions about the future of work by developing research and intellectual resources on the future of work in the retail sector and the gig economy in Africa.
Climate
We will build on our work (with IndustriALL global union) on a Just Transition for the energy sector in Africa as part of contributing to the trade union understanding of environmental issues and the possibilities for action.
Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)
We have partnered with International Trade Union Confederation - Africa (ITUC-Africa) to explore the implications of the AfCFTA for the trade union movement. AfCFTA has the potential to shape trade and development on the continent in profound ways. It is vital that the trade union movement in Africa understands the implications of AfCFTA and be in a position to influence its development over time.
Global value chains
Our work on value chains around the biggest retailers in Africa has influenced the way unions in 10 countries in Africa think about the workplace and the strategies they traditionally use to organise and bargain. There is a growing appreciation of more inclusive approaches that counter the fragmentation of the workplace in the value chain.
Voices from the ground
