
Contents
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35.1 Introduction 35.1 Introduction
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35.2 The South African Trade Union Movement: A Brief History 35.2 The South African Trade Union Movement: A Brief History
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35.3 The Post-1994 Environment: from Legislation to Labor Market Institutions 35.3 The Post-1994 Environment: from Legislation to Labor Market Institutions
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35.4 The Impact of Trade Unions and Labor Legislation on Labor Market Outcomes in South Africa 35.4 The Impact of Trade Unions and Labor Legislation on Labor Market Outcomes in South Africa
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35.5 The Political Economy of High Unemployment 35.5 The Political Economy of High Unemployment
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35.6 Conclusion 35.6 Conclusion
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References References
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35 Trade Unions in South Africa
Get accessHaroon Bhorat is professor of economics, and director of the Development Policy Research Unit (DPRU), at the University of Cape Town (UCT). His research interests cover labour economics, poverty inequality, and income distribution. He sits on the Presidential Economic Advisory Council, holds a national research chair, and is a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a research fellow at IZA, and an honorary research fellow at the Human Sciences Council. He has co-authored and co-edited a number of books on labour market and poverty issues in Africa, and has published more than two hundred academic journal articles and working papers.
Karmen Naidoo is a doctoral candidate in economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is also a senior research associate at the DST/NRF South African research chair in industrial development (SARChI), University of Johannesburg. She holds master’s degrees in economics from the University of Cape Town and SOAS, University of London. Her research interests are in the areas of development economics, labour economics, and structural change. In particular, she is interested in the impacts of trade and technology on the labour market.
Derek Yu, Researcher, Development Policy Research Unit, South Africa and Lecturer, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
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Published:03 November 2014
Cite
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the role of trade unions in South Africa’s economy. Following a historical overview of the South African trade union movement before and after the end of apartheid, it considers the labour market legislation and institutions formed since 1994. Two such laws are discussed, namely, the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. The chapter then assesses the impact of trade unions and wage laws on labor market outcomes in South Africa, along with factors that contribute to high unemployment rates and severe labor market disequilibria. Finally, it examines how the political economy shapes South Africa’s employment relations in light of the tripartite structure of the ruling governmental party.
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