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1 week ago
A series of benchmarks to inform wage negotiations
Persuasive wage demands start with reasonable evidence, and the Bargaining Benchmarks publication delivers it.
Category: Articles
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2 weeks ago
A Labour of Love podcast | Crossing Threads: How African trade unions are shaping the AfCFTA
Behind the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement lies a fundamental question: how can trade serve the people who power it?
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2 weeks ago
Strategies for creating safe spaces for workers to speak out and take actions
Workers must feel safe to report violence, harassment, or discrimination they experience or witness.
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4 weeks ago
Five steps to assess workplace risks of violence and harassment
Violence and harassment as an occupational safety and health issue.
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1 month ago
A trade union snapshot of international trade in South Africa
The South Africa Trade Fact Sheet supports international trade advocacy by trade unions, particularly their campaign for an AfCFTA that benefits workers.
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1 month ago
Cost of living in October
The consumer price index and selected indices for October 2023 to October 2024.
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1 month ago
What workers can demand for a safer workplace
The four phases of effective collective bargaining against violence, harassment, and discrimination in the world of work.
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2 months ago
Care work and the family in capitalism
Why essential domestic labour remains largely uncompensated and gendered.
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2 months ago
What do C190 and R206 expect from trade unions?
Four practical steps to address violence, harassment, and discrimination in the public sector using ILO Convention 190 and Recommendation 206.
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2 months ago
What are the prices that are rising and falling the most?
Simplified inflation data for trade union negotiators.
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3 months ago
Trade unions to stand firm against rainbow capitalism and anti-LGBTI+ backlash at the ILGA World Conference
“We cannot allow rainbow flags to cloak labour exploitation.”
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3 months ago
Practical guide for implementing ILO Convention 190 in public sector workplaces
Ending violence and harassment in the world of work.
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3 months ago
Trade unions gear up for AfCFTA first review
Unions reflect on past negotiations and their trade positioning as the AfCFTA approaches its first review.
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3 months ago
Inflation Monitor: How quickly are prices rising?
What has happened to inflation and selected sub-indices from June 2022 to August 2024.
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3 months ago
“Men in hard hats” industrial policy limits women
We must move beyond talk and take action to improve women’s participation in industrial policy and the economy.
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3 months ago
The economy grew in the second quarter
Here is what is really going on.
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4 months ago
Five essential benchmarks for effective bargaining preparation
The Bargaining Benchmarks report is for trade union negotiators who want to be well-informed and effective in bargaining processes.
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4 months ago
Understanding the two-pot system
An explainer on the 2024 retirement fund reforms for worker representatives.
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4 months ago
An intersectional approach to addressing GBV
A conversation with Nomancotsho Pakade, Research Manager at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.
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4 months ago
Women’s Day through the eyes of Volunteer Food Handlers
The undervaluation of care work is used to justify precarious employment for women workers in the National School Nutrition Programme.
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4 months ago
The invisible struggles of women leaders
We advocate for transformative leadership to tackle systemic biases and entrenched masculine norms that marginalise women leaders.
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4 months ago
Inflation data for trade union negotiators
What has happened to inflation and selected sub-indices from June 2022 to July 2024.
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4 months ago
Aunty Bettie: a lifetime of fighting for women farm workers
“If you know your rights you can stand up for yourself.”
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4 months ago
Unlocking the true value of women’s work in school nutrition
Recognising the work of the women who feed the learners in our communities is a powerful starting point in valuing care work in society.
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4 months ago
The reclaimer advocate
Eva Mokoena, Organiser at the African Reclaimers Organisation, discusses her journey as a reclaimer and feminist leader inspiring women in a male-dominated sector.
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4 months ago
What can a worker expect from their employer if they are too sick to work?
A recent ruling by the CCMA provides insight.
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4 months ago
Women in Trade: Can the AfCFTA ensure empowerment and equality?
Labour protocols that ensure inclusion and equity help distribute trade benefits fairly.
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5 months ago
Women in the Just Transition: Risks and opportunities
The transition to a greener and cleaner economy cannot be ‘just’ without ensuring that women are included in the process.
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5 months ago
Mainstreaming gender in free trade agreements
Interview with Marie Thiam Soumaré General Secretary of the National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Senegal and Continental President of the African Women Network of AfCFTA.
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5 months ago
Principles for workers’ data privacy and protection
As employers increasingly use data for key decisions, unions demand transparency to protect the dignity and autonomy of all workers.
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5 months ago
Leader helps Malawi women unionists to thrive
Elina Nzumwa’s leadership journey is an inspiring example for all women in the labour movement as we celebrate Women’s Month in South Africa.
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5 months ago
The ILO offers official guidance on living wages
A living wage should allow a worker to lead a decent life.
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5 months ago
Wage settlements at industries and bargaining councils
In Q2 2024, median wage increases ranged from 4% to 8%, with Agriculture leading at 8.5%. The median increase across all bargaining councils was 6%, against a 5.1% inflation rate.
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5 months ago
Using technology to amplify voices and effect change
Thabisile Miya, Coordinator at Amandla.mobi, shares her journey in digital activism, promoting economic justice, rights, and dignity for society’s most vulnerable.
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5 months ago
A simplified inflation data report for trade union negotiators
June issue of the LRS Inflation Monitor.
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5 months ago
A trade union briefing on the AfCFTA negotiations
To inform union strategies and AfCFTA advocacy in countries.
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5 months ago
How cross-border trade can thrive under the AfCFTA
Informal worker and leader Anthony Kwache discusses what it will take to ensure fair cross-border trade.
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5 months ago
Imagine a world of work free from gender-based violence and harassment
Trade unions take action to ensure every worker is safe, valued, and respected in all aspects of life.
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5 months ago
The meaning of ‘Climate Change’, ‘COP28’, and ‘Just Transition’
Key terms you need to know in trade union advocacy on a greener future that protects workers.
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5 months ago
Trade unions negotiating international trade
The story of our work on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) so far.
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5 months ago
2023 Annual Report
Look back on the highlights from the last year and get inspired by worker organisations changing the world of work for good.
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6 months ago
What can trade unions do about Africa’s growing sovereign debt crisis?
A call to advocate for global financial system reforms to help African countries meet debt obligations.
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6 months ago
Inflation report for trade union negotiators
A snapshot of inflation and some sub-indices from May 2023 to May 2024.
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6 months ago
Advancing inclusion in the world of work through intersectional analysis
LRS collaborates with unions to tackle the various forms of discrimination and inequality experienced by LGBTQ+ workers.
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6 months ago
Leading and mobilising workers in a prolonged strike: Lessons from Kenya’s medical union
An organiser reflects on a 56-day strike by doctors in the public sector.
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6 months ago
What’s really happening in the economy?
The TIPS Real Economy Bulletin should be compulsory reading for trade unionists.
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6 months ago
Strengthening transformative women’s leadership development in the labour movement
LRS has a global recognition in transformative leadership through an academic partnership.
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7 months ago
Key benchmarks for effective bargaining
The benchmarks that will prepare worker leaders for bargaining processes.
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7 months ago
What qualities should you look for in a shop steward?
A union member in a workplace can vote for a shop steward or nominate themselves. Here are the qualities of a good shop steward.
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7 months ago
Industry wage settlements | Q1 2024
A snapshot of wage settlements in selected industries.
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7 months ago
What to do if you are sexually harassed at the workplace
Your rights, available support, and steps to take to address sexual harassment at work.
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7 months ago
Power cuts have hit the labour market hard
The biggest toll has been on jobs, according to a new research.
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7 months ago
What is an employment contract?
What to expect on your employment contract, types of workplace contracts, and common pitfalls to avoid.
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7 months ago
[LRS Podcast] Power and Politics: Navigating South Africa’s Electoral Landscape
This is a Labour of Love – a podcast exploring the world of work for civil society and trade union actors in Africa. Episode 1 features the election in South Africa.
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7 months ago
A Labour of Love Podcast
A podcast about the world of work for civil society and trade union actors in Africa.
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7 months ago
Inflation slows for the second month in April
The slight improvement in inflation informs our wage negotiations and expectations for adjustments.
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7 months ago
Valuing care work: What are the prospects for women in the National School Nutrition Programme?
Recognising Volunteer Food Handlers as deserving of decent work is an important starting point for establishing a society that truly values care work.
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7 months ago
Managing retrenchments: How to negotiate workers’ rights
Worker leaders must understand legal obligations, dispute resolution pathways, and the challenges and ideal outcomes when negotiating retrenchment.
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7 months ago
Can minimum wages help reduce poverty under low compliance?
A study found that the 2013 hike reduced poverty in South Africa’s agricultural sector despite poor compliance.
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7 months ago
Wage bargaining: Insights from NUMSA’s approach
“We are worker-driven and mandate-driven. There’s nothing for us without us.”
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8 months ago
Reclaimers play a key role in the fight against plastic pollution
Insights from South Africa into how their voices can be heard
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8 months ago
Negotiating fairness, equity, and dignity in the workplace
Negotiators are better prepared to secure favourable outcomes by understanding conditions at work, minimum standards, and collective agreements.
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8 months ago
The information required to prepare for wage bargaining and where to find it
A wage demand will be more persuasive if there is evidence that it is reasonable.
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9 months ago
Five trade union demands for the AfCFTA
We the affiliates of the ITUC-Africa understand the possibility of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
These are our demands.
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9 months ago
Victory for retail union in Malawi negotiating parental rights
CIAWU secured four months of maternity leave and one month of paternity leave for non-birthing parents at Massmart.
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9 months ago
What workers know, think, and feel about the AfCFTA
A recent study recommends actions trade unions can take to engage workers in decent work campaigns under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
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9 months ago
Wage bargaining outcomes in 2023
Wage analysis for industries and unions, covering 576 collective agreements and over two million workers earning the minimum entry-level wage or the lowest wage in the bargaining unit.
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10 months ago
Fact sheet on the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF)
Everything a Volunteer Food Handler should know about UIF benefits.
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10 months ago
Access Granted – Volunteer Food Handlers secure UIF benefits in a successful campaign
A group of Volunteer Food Handlers in Gauteng demanded that schools and the labour department ensure timely access to their UIF benefits.
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10 months ago
The basic benchmarks a negotiator needs for the bargaining process
View the latest LRS Bargaining Benchmarks report.
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10 months ago
Gig work in South Africa: Key insights and prospects for organising
How can we establish conditions within trade unions that make them a home for platform worker groups?
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10 months ago
Actions we can take to stop GBVH in garment factories and clothing retail stores
98% of women workers surveyed say they have experienced one or more incidents of gender-based violence or harassment.
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10 months ago
Is it time to rethink how we approach collective bargaining?
Wage trends for 2023 suggest the need for new approaches to collective bargaining.
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10 months ago
Debunking some big and small myths about the national minimum wage
More than six million people earning the national minimum wage will get a pay rise in March – a development that holds both promise and controversy.
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11 months ago
Five essential resources for union negotiators
Refresh your knowledge and skills on wage bargaining using LRS resources created for trade union negotiators.
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11 months ago
How to build a compelling advocacy campaign for a just transition in the energy sector
Three things that can make or break a trade union campaign targeting different stakeholders.
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11 months ago
Why empowered workers are vital for reaping the full benefits of AI
Employers should collectively bargain with workers to determine the risks of artificial intelligence and implementation and ensure any rewards are shared.
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1 year ago
Bargaining Benchmarks | December 2023
Bargaining Benchmarks helps trade union negotiators to enter negotiations as informed and strategic role players.
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1 year ago
A resource for trade union educators to inspire confidence and inclusivity in learning spaces
Use this facilitation exercise to create workshops where participants feel comfortable and supported.
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1 year ago
Whose job will AI replace?
Here’s why a clerk in Ethiopia has more to fear than one in California.
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1 year ago
Using the power of coalitions in trade union bargaining and advocacy
Eight key actions that can create solidarity and make coalitions work.
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1 year ago
“All parents of whatever stripe”: LRS as amicus curiae in a landmark equal parental leave rights case
A change in the law on parental leave is imminent and likely to affect both maternity and paternity rights.
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1 year ago
Access denied | A woman worker’s struggle for social protection
This video shows the stark realities of Elizabeth and Lehlohonolo, two working-class people who face an extraordinary challenge – access to their UIF benefits.
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1 year ago
Equipping young women in the world of work
Young women workers are empowered in the world of work when they know and understand their rights and responsibilities.
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1 year ago
Exploring the experiences of migrant male domestic workers in South Africa
A study on the experiences of ten male domestic workers from Malawi and Zimbabwe highlights how these workers use their agency to improve their working conditions.
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1 year ago
Trade unions and the new economy: How workers are recasting their power in the digital age
Workers’ power is being recast as precarious workers in Africa experiment with new ways of organising in the digital age.
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1 year ago
Informal economy workers in Ghana share their expectations of the AfCFTA
“The African Continental Free Trade Area is a good initiative that is beyond our reach.”
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1 year ago
Trade union inclusion strategies that create meaningful change
Grassroots activism helps to transform the United National Transport Union into a safe, inclusive and homophobia-free environment.
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1 year ago
Building an AfCFTA trade union campaign in Nigeria
Trade unions advocate for an inclusive continental trade agreement that represents the interests of workers in Nigeria.
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1 year ago
Creating a world of work free of gender-based violence
Unions tackle GBVH with different approaches across domestic work, public health, education, garment manufacturing, and retail sectors.
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1 year ago
VIDEO: A day in the life of Volunteer Food Handler
We learn about the issues facing the workers who prepare and serve meals to learners under the National School Nutrition Programme through the eyes of Khuli Gumede, a Volunteer Food Handler in Gauteng.
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1 year ago
Bargaining Benchmarks | September 2023
A resource for trade union negotiators in South Africa.
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1 year ago
Labour laws every shop steward should know and use to represent workers
Using the law to support bargaining strategies.
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1 year ago
Understanding value chains: A guide for shop stewards
An introduction to value chains as a tool for trade unions to renew their bargaining and organising strategies.
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1 year ago
Annual Report for 2022-23
Our Annual Report shows the different ways in which we work with and for the trade union movement to address the challenges facing our organisations and the world of work.
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1 year ago
How parental social protection falls short for mothers
Women are less likely to benefit from contributory schemes such as UIF and COIDA if they are linked to formal employment.
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1 year ago
Women’s human rights in the informal sector
This Women’s Month, we advocate for better protection of women’s rights, especially in the informal sector, and celebrate trade unions that are working to improve the lives of many.
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1 year ago
A trade union checklist for analysing trade agreements
Unions seeking to build organising and bargaining power along regional value chains need to be familiar with trade agreements to secure decent work.
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1 year ago
VIDEO: Casual workers organise to claim their rights
Women casual workers talk about how they organised to fight for their right to permanent employment.
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1 year ago
Bargaining with South African multinationals | The LRS Pick n Pay Company Report 2023
A more flexible workforce is likely to be a Pick n Pay response to cost pressures, and retail unions will actively seek appropriate compensation for their members.
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