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Effective trade unions act at the local, sectoral and global levels. Learn the four elements to value chain mapping.
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As an educator and facilitator in the Gender Equality Programme of Labour Research Service, I am exposed to human trauma often. Here’s my advice on how to be more resilient.
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Despite the state of the economy and the Covid-19 health crisis, unions have managed to negotiate above-inflation wage increases.
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It’s proven that exercises and games activate our senses and increase creative learning of new concepts and understanding of ideas. Our collection of facilitation exercises will help trainers involved in participatory education activities for workers.
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Abuses of the right to strike, the right to establish and join a trade union, the right to trade union activities and civil liberties and the right to free speech and assembly are at an eight-year high, according to the ITUC’s annual Global Rights Index.
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This training manual can be used to support shop stewards in ensuring safety at the workplace during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
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Produced by Workers’ World Media Productions, this booklet is the complete guide to winning strikes. You’ll learn the strike laws and rights, tactics for strike organisers and anticipating the responses of bosses.
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Vasco Mainza, Regional Chairperson of the National Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers says the union is particularly alarmed by the increasing uptake of flexible work in retail.
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INFOGRAPHIC: A quick recap of Shoprite’s finances 2020 and going into 2021.
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The LRS trade union collective bargaining strategy input looks at the minimum wage and settlement trends; the impact of Covid-19 on the economy and collective bargaining; the 2021 bargaining round; and bargaining for the future.
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A study on discrimination at work on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in South Africa. #PrideMonth
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A shop steward’s guide to finding out who is covered by bargaining council agreements, sectoral determinations and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
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Mike Oranga, Assistant Secretary General of the Kenya Union of Commercial, Food and Allied Workers (KUCFAW) says more workers are employed as “flexi-timers” and may struggle to adapt to new technologies.
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Access our collection of facilitation exercises suitable for use by worker organisations involved in participatory education activities.
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Our new wage calculator will tell you how much a percentage increase is an amount of money and help you understand the effect of inflation on the wage increase.
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Can a global framework agreement help a union to organise? For Swaziland Commercial and Allied Workers Union, the answer is a resounding yes.
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Trade union bargaining strategies in South African multinational companies: A review of revenue, profits and directors’ fees in the transport sector.
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How are retail workers in South Africa affected by technological changes? Read our interview with Joyfull Mnguni of the South African Commercial, Catering and Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU), and know the possible trade union responses to these challenges.
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Identifying unfair labour practices – a quick recap of Section 185 of the Labour Relations Act.
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It’s crunch time for trade unions as more workers face retrenchments by companies navigating the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. Here’s a recap of section 189 of the LRA to get you up to speed.
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Our latest Directors’ Fees Report delves into the remuneration of directors in 78 South African Multinational Corporations and confirms what we’ve always known: that there’s an astronomical gap between the pay of bosses and workers.
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Nina Benjamin, LRS Gender Equality Programme Leader, takes stock of her role supporting teacher trade unions in sub-Saharan Africa to create safe schools.
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The possible discriminatory consequences of a mandatory covid-19 vaccination policy at the workplace.
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What do we need to create safe and inclusive trade unions and workplaces free of homophobia? Trade union activists who have consciousness, passion, knowledge and skills to advocate for the rights of workers who are LGBT+.
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The company you’re bargaining with is in a genuine crisis and can’t afford any salary increases. What should be in your counter-proposal?
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“The minimum wage is a victory for ultra-low wage workers. We have an established floor where there was none before, and we can raise that floor and ensure that no worker is left behind,” says Trenton Elsely, Commissioner, National Minimum Wage Commission.
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Some of the key areas trade unions can direct their energy and resources in 2021.
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The covid-19 pandemic fast-tracked some of the predicted changes in the world of work. Learn what the changes may mean for workers in African multinational companies.
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The new minimum wage is R21.69 per hour, an increase of 4.5%. The minimum wage for domestic workers is still below the national wage at R19.09.
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This document draws on the experience of nine education trade unions that want to end school-related gender-based violence in their contexts.
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Some basic principles for unions to follow as they anticipate the impact of the changing nature of work on organising and bargaining.
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The new workplace issues presented by the covid-19 pandemic require shop stewards to be proficient with the guidelines and direction for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).
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This training manual is for educators in unions to use as a guide for training and supporting shop stewards on staying safe in workplaces during Covid-19 and beyond.
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Business as usual for trade unions went out of the window in 2020. Unions had to alter how they delivered value to their members and recruited new ones.
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This online course designed by the LRS for the Online Learning Academy of International Federation of Workers’ Education Associations (IFWEA) is for activists who want to facilitate gender equality education programmes.
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This one goes out to the trade unionists and anyone else who understands that what few gains the working class have made, they have made through struggle.
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Learn a simple step by step approach to bargaining for gender equity in the workplace.
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Trade unions in South Africa often use strikes to advance and defend the rights of their members. Learn how to plan an effective strike.
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A basic guide for new shop stewards to follow when bargaining at company level.
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Can trade unions continue to successfully negotiate protections for workers in uncertain times?
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Here’s a collection of my favourite books written by women workers, survivors of gender-based violence, school girls and community activists. The writers’ reflections are powerful and empowering.
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Participants at FEDUSA’s webinar on gender-based violence urged the government to ratify ILO C190 against violence in the world of work.
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A conversation with Nina Benjamin, Leader of Gender Equality Programme at the Labour Research Service
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Bárbara Figueroa, president of Chile’s Central Union of Workers, argues for the need to reflect on and review our practices as a labour movement and as a species.
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“The pandemic made us to explore alternative models of leadership that are not militaristic, patriarchal and undemocratic.” Crecentia Mofokeng, Regional Representative for Africa, Building and Wood Workers’ International
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President of Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Associations and StreetNet International, Lorraine Ndlovu, on how the covid-19 pandemic affected her activism. “We are rethinking our approach to women’s leadership development.”
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Amazon announced it’d would hire 3000 people in South Africa to work ‘virtually’ in various roles. But what does this mean and why should you care?
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It’s possible to transform the norms, policies and practices that perpetuate gender-based violence in our schools when stakeholders act collectively.
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Nurses on the front lines of the health care response to covid-19 pandemic have found themselves in a tricky position, making difficult decisions about their own lives and that of patients.
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Both private and public sector workers continue to bear the brunt of the Covid-19 lockdown, despite eased restrictions and some industries opening.
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Vulnerable workers in South Africa face destitution in the absence of a viable channel for individual applications to the UIF’s covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme.
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Public education sector unions signed a collective agreement on the procedures to follow when dealing with teachers who are at a higher risk of complications if they contract Covid-19.
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Despite the progressive laws, workers who are LGBTI+ continue to experience violence and discrimination.
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Practical suggestions for emergency online solutions for trade unions.
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With the school closures, reduced support services and a lack of community support, these young South Africans are more vulnerable.
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Trenton Elsely, Executive Director of Labour Research Service, speaks about organising the first-ever online board meeting of the organisation.
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Do I require a permit to travel to the CCMA? Will cases be heard at plant level? What if my boss refuses to consent to online-based hearing? Get the answers to your questions straight from CCMA director, Cameron Morajane.
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African countries must ensure functioning economies where jobs are secured and trade unions are fully involved in decision-making.
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Amazing things can happen when a diverse group of worker representatives is given a safe space to be themselves. A safe space is good for learning, trying new roles and building solidarity.
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Workers’ Day 2020 message from the Executive Director of Labour Research Service, Trenton Elsely.
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Let’s acknowledge, value and celebrate the paid and unpaid care work of women across the globe.
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Nkosinathi Zwane says the covid-19 pandemic has affected his small business and his dignity as a gay worker.
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Economists have predicted massive job losses in South Africa due to covid-19 pandemic. But what does this mean for the retail sector?
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As one of the few businesses allowed to operate in South Africa during the covid-19 lockdown, are retailers doing enough to ensure protection and fair compensation of workers?
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How can workers in the small-scale fisheries industry be supported to thrive during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond?
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How do we slow the spread of Covid-19 without shutting down the livelihoods of poor households?
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The coronavirus pandemic has worsened the plight of waste reclaimers. Here’s how the government can support the workers helping to save up to R750m in potential landfill costs per year.
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At the mercy of their employers, domestic workers in South Africa have little legal recourse in cases of unfair and inhumane treatment.
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Support working class families in South Africa through the covid-19 pandemic.
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A network of organisations representing informal workers in South Africa wants the government to provide social and economic support to millions of workers in the informal sector amid covid-19.
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The ILO’s preliminary assessment concerning the possible impacts of coronavirus on the world of work proposes a range of policy options to mitigate these impacts and facilitate strong recovery.
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The spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and subsequent government reactions have both employees and employers uncertain. Know your rights as a worker.
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How to prevent the spread of the covid-19 in your workplace and the measures to take when travelling to work and organising organising meetings and events. Applying the OHS Act.
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We come into the learning process as full people with our thinking and critical reflection, feelings and emotions and our readiness to engage in action.
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With the rising inequality in South Africa, strong trade unions are a force for good in society. Here’s why unions need to invest more in organising and recruitment.
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Trade union recruitment in South Africa is lax, yet the strength of organisations largely depends on growing membership. Here’s an effective approach to recruiting members.
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We analysed 14 economic sectors in South Africa to provide trade unions with strategic research that can help them influence corporate governance in big companies to protect workers.
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Key insights, challenges, progress and prospects of the national minimum wage in South Africa.
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Research on violence in schools in South Africa shows the issue is worsening. South African Democratic Teachers Union has mapped the key action areas to end the violence.
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South Africa’s constitution and the various labour laws protect workers. Workers who know about their rights are better able to protect themselves. Know your rights.
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Worker representatives have identified the priority demands that will strengthen the collective bargaining agreements covering millions of workers in South Africa.
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Twenty-five years after Beijing, there’s progress for women workers in South Africa but major challenges remain.
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Teacher unions in South Africa are confronting school-related gender-based violence to restore a safe learning environment and the dignity of the teaching profession.
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Commissioner Nhlanhla Ndaba offers a quick refresher to worker representatives on navigating CCMA processes.
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In The Gambia where the prevalence of female genital mutilation in women aged 15-49 is 74.9%, trade union activists are breaking the culture of silence to ensure the girl child is safe.
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National Negotiator at SADTU, Shiyinduku Twala, says trade unions need to adapt to the changing workplace if they hope to remain effective.
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A trade union activist’s personal tragedy sparked a flame that’s helping to fuel the fight against school-related gender-based violence in Sierra Leone. #EndSRGBV
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Trade union activists in Zambia used reflection to track the progress and impact of an initiative to address gender-based violence in schools in the Southern African country.
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School-Related Gender-Based Violence is violence that undermines the bodily integrity, human rights, and gender equality of all those involved in the school but primarily that of the school child.
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The root cause of gender-based violence is inequitable gender norms. What can you do to help end GBV?
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South Africa’s labour market is more favourable to men than to women, and the fourth industrial revolution may widen the gap, writes Dr Rachel Adams, Research Specialist at Human Sciences Research Council.
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The key infrastructure challenges for community health care workers in South Africa who form part of the Ward Based Primary Health Outreach Teams.
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Trade unions in the retail sector in Africa have found ways of working together and with unions globally to ensure decent work in multinational corporations.
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In the context of policy making in South Africa, it is easy to lose the big picture of the direction in which the country hopes to move. We unpack some of the policy implications for the DSL.
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Dr Daniel B. le Roux investigates the impact of automation on economies in the developing world.
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Trade unions campaigned for ILO Convention 190 on ending violence and harassment in the world of work. The challenge now is getting the governments to ratify the convention.
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We now have a socially derived definition of a decent standard of living (DSL) in South Africa. The DSL was developed using simple steps that included what ordinary people thought.
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South Africa’s government has struggled for many years to develop the right policies to beat poverty.
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What will it take for worker leaders and the LRS to create resources that support collective bargaining for workers in precarious forms of employment?
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NUMSA negotiator, Oupa Sifume, says collective bargaining in South Africa is under attack and only strong unions can deliver on the mandates from workers to reduce inequality in our society.