On segmented and national labour markets

Abstract

It is encouraging to see activist-scholars seriously addressing the problems of the structure and dynamics of the agricultural labour force in Sudan as Abbas Abdelkarim has done in ROAPE 34. In particular, he raised important questions concerning the development of class consciousness and collective organisation among Sudanese agricultural workers which have too long been neglected. I am also happy to see a debate emerge around the propositions I formulated concerning recent and ongoing changes in the Sudanese labour force (see ROAPE 26). These involve central issues of key importance in the popular struggle for democracy in Sudan. I fear, however, that Abdelkarim's critique of my analysis does not advance our understanding very much and that it contains basic misrepresentations of my arguments and unsound uses of 'data' that require sorting out if the issues to be debated are to remain clear.