New Actors in Employment Relations in the Periphery: Closing the Representation Gap amongst Micro and Small Enterprises

Abstract

<jats:p>This paper aims to contribute to our understanding of how the representation gap in micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in nine countries can be closed through a mapping exercise (both horizontal and vertical). The study draws on peripheral workers in MSEs predominantly from countries on the periphery of the global economy. The assumption underlying the research is that the failure of traditional industrial relations actors, especially trade unions, to respond to the representation gap has created the space and the need for new actors to fill the gap. We identify a number of dimensions in trade union responses to non-standard employment relations and focus on their awareness of the specific nature of non-standard workers’ interests and their willingness to innovate with representation models.</jats:p><jats:p>The paper identifies four main responses by trade unions to non-standard employees. The first response is where trade unions are indifferent to workers in MSEs as they are seen as marginal and unorganizable. Secondly, there are trade unions that are very much aware of the need to revise and revitalize their representation strategies, but they respond by attempting to extend existing forms of representation. Thirdly there are those who believe that non-standard employment should be resisted. The fourth, and most interesting response, is where unions create specific kinds of representation and protection for the new forms of employment.</jats:p><jats:p>While there were positive outcomes both individually and organizationally from this mapping exercise, as an organizational tool designed to recruit members into the union, mapping is limited. In five of the nine case studies peripheral workers were recruited into a union or worker association. The paper confirms the existence of new actors in employment relations in developing countries. In particular the emergence of NGOs and community based worker associations and co-operatives have been identified as crucial intermediaries in developing new forms of workplace organization.</jats:p>

Global supply chains and social relations at work: Brokering across boundaries

“…Seen as an advanced form of 'footloose capitalism', they have created new employment opportunities for millions of workers in developing countries, changed the nature of work, but also exacerbated exploitative conditions through downward pressure (Donaghey and Reinecke, 2018). This has wide-ranging impacts on employment practices such as training, prevention of discrimination and trade union representation (Webster and Bischoff, 2011). The use of 'cost-effective' practices such as downsizing, outsourcing and contingent labour (Wright and Lund, 2003) has incurred social costs and increased levels of precarious work (Kalleberg, 2009), as well as affected worker identities (Cohen and El-Sawad, 2007).…”

Decent Work for All: Rethinking Decent Work in the Context of South Africa

“…First, by assisting trade unions in a systematic assessment of workplaces, a decent work questionnaire can form part of a horizontal mapping exercise where trade unions seek to document and identify the characteristics of workers, their location and the industry (Webster/Bischoff 2011). Second, for organisers a decent work questionnaire can be a useful tool to engage with workers in a conversation about their working conditions and shows the latter that the union is interested in their views.…”

The growth and organization of a precariat: working in the clothing industry in Johannesburg’s inner city

“…The mapping exercise undertaken in 2009 revealed that SACTWU organisers have a high degree of awareness of non-standard workers but they underestimated the need for different organisational forms to respond to the specificity of atypical employment. As a result they have attempted to bring these atypical workers into the ambit of existing representation in order to secure for them similar protection to those in standard employment (Webster and Bischoff, 2011). We describe this response in the figure below as an imitative extension of protection (cell 2).…”

“…To explore the possibilities of extending organization to this precariat we employed a mapping model as a tool for organizing purposes in 2009 (Webster and Bischoff, 2011). We designed a seven step process in which the researchers would locate those workers who are often invisible, working in MSEs.…”