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Squaring the circle: global production and the informalization of work in South African fruit exports
Author(s) -
Barrientos Stephanie,
Kritzinger Andrienetta
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of international development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1328
pISSN - 0954-1748
DOI - 10.1002/jid.1064
Subject(s) - work (physics) , vulnerability (computing) , poverty , production (economics) , falling (accident) , labour economics , informal sector , economics , legislation , government (linguistics) , value (mathematics) , business , quality (philosophy) , economic growth , political science , mechanical engineering , medicine , linguistics , philosophy , computer security , environmental health , epistemology , machine learning , computer science , law , engineering , macroeconomics
South African fruit growers simultaneously face rising standards imposed within supermarket global value chains, falling market prices internationally, and increasing government legislation. These pressures are leading to falling permanent employment and increasing use of contract labour on fruit farms, tempered by the need to employ skilled workers to meet quality and labour standards. Informal contract employment provides some (male) workers with regular work at relatively good pay, but others (particularly women) work for short periods at low pay. None enjoy work security or employment benefits. The informality of work intensifies their risks and vulnerability to poverty. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.