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Violations of farm workers’ labour rights in post-apartheid South Africa

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  • Stephen Devereux

Abstract

Commercial farm workers in South Africa endured centuries of exploitation and abuse until the 1990s, when progressive legislation was promulgated that confers rights to workers aimed at improving their living and working conditions, including through a sector-specific statutory minimum wage. However, violations of labour rights are widespread in the agriculture sector, and farm workers are arguably more vulnerable than before as they face ongoing evictions, casualisation and exploitation. This research study, conducted among women farm workers in the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces, documents labour rights violations in the areas of wages and contracts and occupational health and safety. Apart from farmers themselves, government is responsible for failing to enforce compliance with pro-worker legislation, while trade unions have failed to represent farm workers and hold farmers and government to account.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Devereux, 2020. "Violations of farm workers’ labour rights in post-apartheid South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 382-404, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:deveza:v:37:y:2020:i:3:p:382-404
    DOI: 10.1080/0376835X.2019.1609909
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    Cited by:

    1. Meemken, Eva-Marie & Aremu, Olayinka & Fabry, Anna & Heepen, Celestina & Illien, Patrick & Kammer, Marie & Laitha, Andrew, 2024. "Policy for decent work in agriculture," IAAE 2024 Conference, August 2-7, 2024, New Delhi, India 344353, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).
    2. Odile Mackett, 2022. "Decent Work in the South African Macroeconomy: Who are The Winners and Losers?," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 277-305, October.
    3. Rudzani Mudzielwana & Paramu Mafongoya & Maxwell Mudhara, 2022. "An Analysis of the Determinants of Irrigation Farmworkers’ Food Security Status: A Case of Tshiombo Irrigation Scheme, South Africa," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Bastos, Paulo & Bottan, Nicolas, 2023. "Resource rents, coercion, and local development: Evidence from post-apartheid South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

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