THE IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

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THE IMPACT OF GLOBALISATION ON THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

• Southern Africa
• Namibia
• Zambia
• Malawi
• Zimbabwe

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• Effects of retrenchment as a result of
  restructuring
• Weakening in the bargaining power of the Trade
  Unions
• Changes in the labour laws pertaining to social
  security upon retirement in Zambia and Malawi.
• Companies in the Export Processing Zones that do
  not contribute to the revenue of the country e.g.
  Ramatex in Namibia which has a tax exemption of
  5years.
• Non application of the Labour Relations Act in
  the EPZs.
• Casualisation of labour
• Outsourcing/contracting
• Technological change which has led to
  restructuring.

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NATIONAL LEVEL

• 1. The labour movement should lobby the
  government so that the Export Processing Zone Act
  (EPZ) is repealed to allow the labour Laws to
  apply in these territories. This has been
  achieved in Namibia. Trade unions in Zimbabwe
  should fight hard so that this becomes a reality.
• 2. Trade unions should also lobby government so
  that the EPZ companies pay import duty so that
  they contribute to the nations revenue. The
  monies realised should be channelled to setting
  up a national social security scheme. Trade
  Unions in Malawi should fight for setting up of a
  compulsory pension scheme.
• 3. In Zambia the labour movement should resist
  any change in the favourable labour legislation
  that currently exist such us reduction in the
  terminal benefits.

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• 4. The trade union movement should find ways of
  organising the informal sector.
• 5. The labour movement should encourage
  governments to come up with employment policy to
  govern who should be employed.
• 6. Labour movement to lobby government to set up
  equity commissions like Namibia.
• 7. Trade unions to improve on net working to
  watch out for undermining by investors.

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• 8. Trade unions should share and strategise to
  fight disparities in wages across countries in
  the region so that jobs of equal value have equal
  remuneration in the region to avoid brain drain.
• 9. The labour movement should encourage capacity
  building at all levels.

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INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

• Labour movement should encourage
  merging/integration of Regional Federations/
  Congress to become one strong global union.
• Labour movement to encourage implementation of
  the set out labour standards and conventions by
  the TNCs.
• Encourage clauses that will enforce corporate
  social responsibility on the foreign investors.
• Labour movement should have world class
  solidarity as workers where there are moral and
  political reasons for supporting workers
  anywhere.