About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

LOG IN
LOG IN


40 Pt. 2 Indus. L.J. (Juta) 1400 (2019)
Voice, Representation and Women Workers in the Informal Economy

handle is hein.journals/iljuta49 and id is 15 raw text is: Voice, Representation and Women Workers in the Informal Economy ELMARIE FOURIE* ABSTRACT Voice and representation for women workers in the informal economy is of paramount importance in according them labour and social protection. Without a voice, the notion of substantive equality and decent work will never become a reality for such workers. The fact that women workers in the informal economy are often without a voice and representation as they are beyond the reach of traditional methods of organisation and mobilisation contributes to their poverty and inability to fight for decent work and living conditions. The article proposes that as far as voice and representation of informal workers in South Africa is concerned, innovation is required that can take the form of extending the existing legislative framework, or amending the framework to extend protection to such workers, or developing tailor-made solutions that include a new institutional and regulatory framework - one that promotes a democratic participatory paradigm based on the notion of responsive regulation. It is argued that different forms of representation arising from amended or new paradigms may promote collective action by informal women workers, such as female informal traders and waste pickers, in a diverse range of organisations that could lead to the change that is required to provide them with protection. 1 INTRODUCTION Voice and representation for women workers in the informal economy are of paramount importance in enabling such workers to achieve labour and social protection. However, most informal women workers are often without a voice and adequate representation. Without a voice, such workers will be deprived of substantive equality and decent work. The lack of both voice and representation contributes to keeping informal women workers in poverty and to rendering them unable to fight for decent work and living conditions.1 Frequently the work they perform is undervalued and unrecognised by societies or governments and this contributes to the maintenance of barriers affecting their *Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University ofJohannesburg. ' ILO Resolution concerning Decent Work and the Informal Economy of2002 conclusion 4. See also E Webster, A Britwum & S Bhowmik Crossing the Divide (cover page) (2017). 1400