Project: Value chains capacity building

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6 years ago
6 years ago

Value chains capacity building

We supported trade unions in ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa to renew their bargaining and organising strategies for tackling inequality in global value chains.

The LRS Value Chains Capacity Building Project works with established trade union networks in Africa, supporting their ability to develop renewed strategies for organising and bargaining to confront inequality in global value chains.

Target group

The primary target group is trade union officials and worker leaders in UNI Global Africa-led Shop Stewards Alliance networks. The project set out to build on the potential of the three Multinational Corporations (MNC) retail networks by introducing the UNI Global Union in Africa and its affiliates to value chain analysis. The three South African MNCs (Shoprite, Pick n Pay and Massmart/Walmart) are among the dominant retail role players in the regional value chains and reportedly employ over 250,000 workers in Africa.

Project objectives

Trade unions involved in the project have developed ideas for the expansion of their negotiating power and their organising range along the value chain. They are thus better able to counter inequalities along the value chain and to ensure that core labour standards and social standards are respected and the working conditions and the standard of living of workers and their dependents in sub-Saharan Africa are improved.

The work

57 participants (60% male, 40% female) covering 10 countries and 11 trade unions organising in the retail sector participated in the value chains project, which was implemented from 2017 to 2019, with the support of The German Trade Union Confederation, DGB Bildungswerk Bund.

The participating countries were South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, eSwatini, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Outcomes

The project outcomes achieved through workshops and research outputs include;

Developing an understanding of value chain analysis within trade unions in Africa
Translating value chain analysis for trade unions
Reflecting on the implications of value chain analysis for two key functions of trade unions – collective bargaining and organising.

Top 5 arising themes

Mapping workers in the value chain -> improved understanding of recruiting processes and the types of workers and jobs in a value chain
Unequal power in the value chain -> identified strategies for confronting the power imbalance across value chains
Value chain mapping tools -> the effective tools for mapping all workers across the value chain
Collaboration -> firm commitments to sharing information within unions and between countries across to support organising and collective bargaining processes
Laws and policies -> do they support or disrupt union organising?

Project impact

“We have developed an action plan in our union in collaboration with trade unions within the value chain to ensure proper representation of all workers. The major change is in how I see and perceive things. I can link and trace the players within the value chains, gauge the importance and power of each exercise and hold it within the value chain.”

“Due to the value chains project, our union is reviewing our constitution with the intention of expanding our coverage to organise all workers in all the sectors of the value chain. I have been asked to lead the team looking at the potential new sectors to organise in our value chain, including the 'invisible sector', the workers that are often overlooked in workplaces."

“The methodology used by the LRS was good. We were provided with practical examples, for example, mobile phones and shoes, to demonstrate the way value is distributed in the manufacture and retail of these products. The learning was very participatory, and we got the opportunity to hear the experiences of other countries.”

"The learning spaces created by the LRS are a great example of an exchange programme in action. People are sharing experiences – stories of what’s working in their contexts and the strategies we can replicate in our own countries."

"The training helped us to locate where power lies and how trade unions can acquire power and succeed in organising the value chain. Our union will use the LRS mapping exercises l learned at the workshop to prepare for bargaining."

"It’s interesting to learn that consumers and other stakeholders can be mobilised to participate in trade union campaigns for advancing decent work in the regional value chains and in multinational companies. We can use the tactic in future campaigns."

“I am looking at issues differently and questioning some of the practices in the value chains that echo the colonial era. We will continue to exchange information and advocate for multinational companies to treat workers fairly and equally in every African country they do business.”