Editorial: focus on Southern Africa

Abstract

ICTUR "I EDITORIAL Editorial: focus on Southern Africa Country profiles basedonupdated material originally co-written byICTUR correspondents andJohn Harper Publishing andpublished as Trade Unions ofthe World', 2005 (ICTUR /John Harper Publishing) Next issue of IUR Articles between 850and1,900 words should besentbyemail (mail@ictur.org) andaccompanied bya photograph andshort biographical note oftheauthor. Photographs illustrating thetheme ofarticles arealways welcome. Allitems must bewith usby5thDecember 2009ifthey are tobeconsidered for publication inthenext issueofIUR. Subscribe toIUR: tosubscribe, complete theboxbelow. I/we would like tosubscribe toInternational Union Rights andenclose£20/US$30/€25. Name/Organisation Address PostCode Four issues£20/US$30/€25. Cheques should bemadepayable to"IUR" andsentto:ICTUR, 177Abbeville Road, London SW49RL, UK Southern approaches history Africa of to trade is trade a region union unionism rich activism. with that a radical have The Southern historyof trade union activism. The approachesto tradeunionismthathave developedaroundtheregionare a result ofthe very specific political andsocio-economic circumstanceswithin whichlocal unionshaveevolved. Duringtheapartheid era in Namibiaand South Africa unionsdevelopedkeenly felt identities, not onlyas industrial organisations butalso as powerfulsocial movements, deeplyconnectedwith disenfranchised populations, progressive activists, and political movements. The political linksthat developed between NUNW and SWAPO and COSATOand theANC and SACP,forexample, havegrownoutofthisvery specific history. Inthisedition ofInternational UnionRights we pull togetherhard-hitting articlesfromtrade unionists, NGOs,and academicsfrom acrossthe regioninan effort togaina snapshot ofsomeof thekeythemesin theworldoftradeunionand labourrights in Southern Africa today.We also present a seriesofcountry profiles, presenting in verybriefoverviewformat some of the key themes oftheeconomicfoundations, laboursituationsand political backgrounds ofa number of thecountries acrossSouthern Africa. Labour developments across the regionare vast,butsome usefulthemesemergefrom this editionof IUR, highlighting issues thatcross national boundaries. While Swaziland and Zimbabwestruggle withseriousrepression of tradeunion rights and local activists fight for rights to peacefulassemblyand discussion, we can see quite radicallabourmarket regulation emerging inNamibia andnowproposedinSouth Africa forwhatamounts inbroadterms toa ban on some of the core activities of employment agencies. Over in Mozambique, the Labour Inspectorate has in recent yearsbeen making a nameforitself withregular mediacoverageand somedramatic interventions, whileinLesotho the workoftheLabourInspectorate maybe lessdramaticbutwas also raisedbyourcontributors. In respect ofNamibia, Lesothoand Swaziland, garmentmanufacturing offered a recenteconomic boom, drivenin part by a US importtariff scheme.Followingdevelopments in the world market of textile and garment regulation, SouthernAfricanmanufacturers have faced increasedglobal pressure,placing downward pressure on labourstandards. Competition from Asianmanufacturing facilities represents partof thisstory. The recentarrival ofChinesecompaniesandthestrategies adoptedbylocalactors for regulation of these new operatorsis another theme, discussed briefly in respect of MozambiqueandMalawi. The special format forthiseditionof IUR is supported bytheAfrica programme ofUnite, the UK's largest union.We also open thisedition of thejournal withan updateon theadviceprovided by ICTURto Unite'sGibraltar District Office withregard to thehumanrights situation forthe Moroccan community resident on theRock.After receiving detailedand encouraging legaladvice, whichconfirmed and indeedbolstered theopinionofICTUR 'sownlegalteam,a 54-pagereport outlining the specificviolationsof law which ICTURbelievesaretaking placewas presented to theGibraltar office ofUnite, andtoother relevant local actors,including the authorities and the media.The report, whichis availableto download at www.ictur.org, also contains a listof30 recommendations for action addressedto the Gibraltarian, Spanish, and UK Governments. Finallyforthiseditionwe also takea broad round-upof currentissues fromaround the world,takingin an assessment of the right to strike in Australia,recent developmentsin Colombia, theroleofChinesetrade unionsinthe wake oftheglobaleconomiccrisis, and thediscovery earlier thisyearofan extensive blacklistingoperation whichranthroughout theUK construction industry. Daniel Blackburn,Editor INTERNATIONAL union fights Page 2 Volume 16Issue 4 2009 ...