From introduction: The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyse the effects of labour migration on marriage and family life. The field material is from Burnshill, a village situated in the Keiskammahoek district in the Ciskei. Keiskammahoek is bounded on the East by the districts of King William's Town and Stutterheim, on the West and South by Middledrift and on the North by Cathcart. The inhabitants of Burnshill are overwhelmingly Xhosa and Mfengu (the main ethnic groups in the Ciskei) but also include a small proportion of people whose clans are of Mpondo and Thembu origin. This village has undergone extensive change. As we shall show later, it was settled de novo by the Mfengu and the Xhosa during the second half of the past century. This is one of the reasons why it lacks the homogeneity and continuity of cultural tradition which are predominant features of long-established communities.

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Workers absenteeism is a problem for many companies in South Africa. The absenteeism of workers affects the productivity of companies. The social worker in the industry plays a key role in the managing of workers absenteeism. One of the goals of social work in the industry is to enhance the productivity of workers. Consequently there is a lack of specifically South African research on the social factors that influence worker absenteeism and the role of the social worker to manage worker absenteeism. A survey of international literature forms the starting point for the research undertaken to fill this gap. The influence of social factors on worker absenteeism is described. Three worker absenteeism approaches, namely economical, psigological and sociological approaches are being used to describe the social factors that influence worker absenteeism. The literature view also offers management strategies to help combat worker absenteeism. In the study there is being focused on the female worker because the empirical study takes place at a company that manufactures clothes. The empirical study describes the social factors that influence the absenteeism of female workers working in the manufacturing company. Proposals are made concerning ways to combat worker absenteeism, taking into account the important role the social worker in the industry plays in managing worker absenteeism. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werknemerafwesigheid is vir baie fabrieke en firmas in Suid-Afrika 'n ernstige probleem. Die werksafwesigheid van werknemers veroorsaak dat die produktiwiteit van fabrieke en firmas beïnvloed word. Die maatskaplike werker in die bedryf kan 'n belangrike rol speel in die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid, omdat dit 'n doelstelling van maatskaplike werk in die bedryf is om die produktiwiteit van werknemers te verhoog. Derhalwe is daar 'n gebrek aan spesifieke Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oor die maatskaplike faktore wat werknemerafwesigheid beïnvloed, en wat die maatskaplike werker se rol is om werksafwesigheid te beperk. 'n Literatuurstudie word aangebied as vertrekpunt vir die navorsing wat onderneem is om genoemde leemte aan navorsing te vul. Die invloed van maatskaplike faktore op werknemerafwesigheid word bespreek. Drie benaderings tot werknemerafwesigheid, naamlik ekonomiese, sielkundige en sosiologiese benaderings word geondersoek waaronder die maatskaplike faktore wat werknemerafwesigheid beïnvloed, bespreek word. Die literatuuroorsig bied ook bestuurstrategieë om die werksafwesigheid van werknemers te bekamp. Daar word spesifiek op die vroulike werknemer gefokus omdat die empiriese ondersoek by 'n klerevervaardigingsfabriek plaasvind. Die empiriese ondersoek handel oor die maatskaplike faktore wat die werksafwesigheid van vroulike fabriekarbeiders beïnvloed. Na aanleiding van die bevindinge van die ondersoek word aanbevelings vir die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid gemaak. Dit geskied met inagneming van die belangrike rol wat die maatskaplike werker in die bedryf kan speel in die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid.

Orientador: Marcia de Paula Leite / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-06T07:41:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gomes_CarlosAntonio_M.pdf: 749753 bytes, checksum: e8cba43d8e81a658a33ff8e4ee6656be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O presente trabalho analisa como os movimentos de precarização das relações de trabalho e de uso desgastante da força de trabalho ¿ implementados a partir da reestruturação produtiva e da adoção da agenda de políticas econômicas restritivas ¿ também se manifestam através da inflexão da qualidade geral da força de trabalho brasileira. Em princípio e a título do estabelecimento de comparações entre modelos de relações de trabalho, é feita uma revisita histórica à formação do padrão norte-americano de desenvolvimento - caracterizado pela comunhão entre a organização taylor-fordista do trabalho e a relação salarial fordista - edificado a partir de Bretton Woods. Na seqüência, analisa os sistemas produtivos dos países de capitalismo avançado, reestruturados a partir da Terceira Revolução Industrial e Tecnológica e dos novos métodos de produção flexível, comparando-os com o sistema brasileiro. Conclui que a tentativa de implementação do modelo japonês no Brasil tem esbarrado no conservadorismo empresarial, ao mesmo temo em que produzido um modelo industrial particular, idiossincrásico e, acima de tudo, predatório e desagregador das relações de trabalho. Sem se prender aos aspectos produtivistas, a análise envereda pelos aspectos políticos e sociais, chamando atenção para a degradação do mercado brasileiro de trabalho, que vem ocorrendo em função da adoção das políticas de adequação da produção à demanda, cujos principais sintomas são a brutal elevação do desemprego e o uso crescente das modalidades não-capitalistas de contratação de mão-de-obra. Conclui estabelecendo um indicativo de que a tais políticas estariam impactando negativamente na qualificação profissional dos trabalhadores, inflexionando a capacidade produtiva da força de trabalho no que diz respeito ao manuseio de sistemas avançados de agregação de valor, ao passo em que contribuindo ainda mais para o desvio da economia brasileira dos trilhos do desenvolvimento sustentado / Abstract: The present work analyzes as the movements of precarization of the work relations and of absorbing use of the work force of implemented from the productive reorganization and of the adoption of the agenda of restrictive economics politics also they are disclosed through the precarization of the general quality of the Brazilian force of work. In principle and the heading of the establishment of comparisons between models of work relations, is made one revisits historical to the formation of the North American standard of development - characterized for the communion it enters the taylor-fordista organization of the work and the fordista wage relation - built from Bretton Woods. In the sequence, it analyzes the productive systems of the countries of advanced capitalism, reorganized from the third industrial and technological revolution and of the new methods of flexible production, comparing them with the Brazilian system. It concludes that the attempt of implementation of the models Japanese in Brazil has collide in the conservative empresariable and produced particular a model industrial, idiosyncratic and above of everything, predatory and desaggregator of the work relations. Without if arresting to the aspects produtivists, the analysis guide for social the politics aspects and, calling for the degradation the Brazilian market of work, that comes occurring in function of the adoption of the politics of adequacy of the production to the demand, whose main symptoms are the brutal rise of unemployment and the increasing use of the modalities not-capitalists of man power act of contract. It concludes establishing an indicative of that to such politics they would be shocking negative in the professional qualification of the workers, inflectioning the productive capacity of the force of work in whom it says respect to the manuscript of advanced systems of value aggregation, to the step where contributing still more for the shunting line of the Brazilian economy of the tracks of the supported development / Mestrado / Educação, Sociedade, Politica e Cultura / Mestre em Educação

The focus of the study was two-fold, firstly to determine the effect of age on the capacity of manual materials handling workers and secondly to determine the effect of increasing task mechanisation on the workers’ responses to task demands. The first component of this study, namely Part I, 101 male and 12 female ‘unskilled’ manual workers – of various ages – from a brick manufacturing industry were assessed. Anthropometric, health and strength factors were measured to improve the understanding of the South African manual worker capacity and more specifically, the effect of age on this capacity. Data collection was done between 7.30am and 9.30am in a laboratory-type setting on-site. Anthropometric characteristics (including body mass index, waist to hip ratio, waist circumference and body fat percentage) provided information on the state of obesity and the impact of age in the South African context. Linked to this, the health factors (including blood pressure, resting heart rate and a self-reported questionnaire) provide an extra snapshot of the disease profile in South Africa, and could potentially influence other capacity factors. Isometric strength capacities (of eight different areas, namely: back, leg, bicep, shoulder, pinch, pinch and pull) demonstrated whether South African manual workers show the same decline in strength with aging as seen in industrially advanced countries. The second component of the study, Part II, was performed in situ and measured the workers’ responses to task demands of three brick palletising tasks, one manual (n=21) and two with increasing mechanisation (n=12 each). Spinal kinematics, joint forces and working heart rate were assessed on normal work days during a 30-lift duration and body discomfort measures were taken at the start, middle and end of the work-shift. Spinal kinematics were measured dynamically using a lumbar motion monitor, whereas the spinal forces were estimated using the three dimensional static strength prediction program. The worker capacity results showed that waist to hip ratio, waist circumference and body fat percentage increased significantly with aging, whereas body mass index was not affected by age. All body morphology values were within ‘normal’ ranges. Although diastolic blood pressure increased significantly with age, systolic was not affected significantly by age. Both groups, however, showed an increasing prevalence of hypertension with aging. There were no significant changes in resting heart rate with aging, with a range of 66 bt.min⁻¹ to 74.86 bt.min⁻¹, therefore within normal ranges. Of the strength factors, age only affected shoulder and push strength significantly: Showing a decrease in shoulder strength from 49.89 kgF to 39.91 kgF in the men aged 20-29 to the 50-59 respectively and an increase in push strength from men aged 30-39 and 40-49 to those aged 50-59. Part II results revealed highly frequent lift rates and large degrees of sagittal flexion and lateral bending in all three tasks. These postures adopted for long durations are likely to lead to the development of musculoskeletal disorders. Heart rates of workers from the three tasks were significantly different and heart rates for two tasks were above the recommended 110 bt.min⁻¹. Similarly the body discomfort ratings of the three tasks differed, although a common trend was seen in that lower back pain was the most commonly reported area of discomfort in all tasks. South African manual materials handling males did not show the same responses to aging as men from industrially advanced countries, calling for further research into these differences. Due to the high risks of the three tasks assessed, future research and interventions are required to reduce the risk of injury in the assessed tasks.

The Western Australian (WA) mining industry directly employs approximately 56,000 people. Almost half work Fly-in/Fly-out commute arrangements (FIFO, e.g. employees living in a city are flown to a remote worksite where they live and work during their work roster) and approximately half work more than 50 hours per week, on average. There are many anecdotal claims that FIFO has negative impacts on WA mining employees, leading to an elevated risk of high stress levels, depression, binge drinking, recreational drug use and relationship break-ups. Previous studies found FIFO can be stressful, and have negative impacts on WA employees 'and partners' lifestyles and relationships. This project investigated the long-term (Study One) and short-term (Study Two) impacts of FIFO and extended working hours on a representative sample of WA FIFO mining employees and partners. In Study One, a total of 222 FIFO and Daily Commute (DC) mining employees and partners completed an anonymous questionnaire investigating long-term impacts on work satisfaction, lifestyle, relationships and health. A subgroup of 32 Study One FIFO employees and partners also participated in Study Two; a detailed study of the short-term impacts of FIFO and extended working hours and how these impacts fluctuate in intensity during the mining roster. Study Two participants completed a diary and provided saliva samples each day throughout a complete mining roster. The main findings of the study were that FIFO and extended working hours had negative impacts on employees work satisfaction and FIFO was frequently reported to be disruptive to employees 'and partners' lifestyle, in the long-term. However, FIFO and extended working hours did not lead to poor quality relationships, high stress levels or poor health, on average in the long-term; there were generally no significant differences in these characteristics between FIFO and DC employees, or between the FIFO sample and the wider community. There were minor differences between FIFO and DC employees in long-term health characteristics, and Study One employees had similar, or in some cases poorer health outcomes than other community samples.

The present rate of fossil fuel burning, the main source of commercial energy, is adversely impacting global climate. Present social and economic practices need to be examined to question their level of energy use and related greenhouse gas emission. Energy used to operate buildings and to transport people is a significant portion of the total energy consumption and reductions in these uses will be crucial to addressing the global issues. This thesis examines the potential for energy use reduction in the performance of office work through the use of Alternative Work Arrangements ("AWAs"). The analysis considers the operating energy of an office building, operating energy of alternative work locations and the transportation energy spent by employees in commuting from home to work. A brief synopsis of the present atmospheric, energy use and workplace trend is presented. The synthesis of these trends is used as a framework to evaluate the impact of AWAs. The work arrangements in the Burnaby Fraser Tax Services Office ('BFTSO'), Surrey, BC are used as a case study to analyze the operating and commuting energy spent by the employees working by different arrangements. Telework is found to be the most energy efficient work arrangement implemented at the BFTSO. Under optimum operating conditions, net energy saving per teleworker can be 34.06 GJ per annum. Net savings in greenhouse gas emission per teleworker can be 1950 kg per annum. For hoteling work arrangement, net energy savings per hoteling employee under optimum conditions can be 32 GJ per annum. Related savings in greenhouse gas emissions can be 1532 kg per annum. The proportion of total operating and total commuting energy for the BFTSO is almost equal. However, the greenhouse gas emission from total commuting energy is three times that from operating energy due to differences in carbon intensity of the fuel mix. Under optimum conditions the implementation of AWAs at the BFTSO can result in 36 percent saving in total operating energy and 43 percent saving in total commuting energy. The magnitude of the savings is location dependent due to differences in climate, fuel mix and transportation patterns. Alternative Work Arrangements have mixed social impact. It can improve the ability of employees to balance their personal and professional life. It can also lead to isolation that can adversely impact morale and work output. The participation rate in AWAs within organizations is currently low, less than 2 percent. However, the implementation of AWA is widespread with most organizations using some form of AWA. To increase the participation rate in AWAs, a comprehensive approach needs to be adopted, considering the professional, personal, economic and social impact of AWAs. Government intervention through supporting regulations and incentives can be a strong catalyst for increasing participation rates in AWAs.

The present rate of fossil fuel burning, the main source of commercial energy, is adversely impacting global climate. Present social and economic practices need to be examined to question their level of energy use and related greenhouse gas emission. Energy used to operate buildings and to transport people is a significant portion of the total energy consumption and reductions in these uses will be crucial to addressing the global issues. This thesis examines the potential for energy use reduction in the performance of office work through the use of Alternative Work Arrangements ("AWAs"). The analysis considers the operating energy of an office building, operating energy of alternative work locations and the transportation energy spent by employees in commuting from home to work. A brief synopsis of the present atmospheric, energy use and workplace trend is presented. The synthesis of these trends is used as a framework to evaluate the impact of AWAs. The work arrangements in the Burnaby Fraser Tax Services Office ('BFTSO'), Surrey, BC are used as a case study to analyze the operating and commuting energy spent by the employees working by different arrangements. Telework is found to be the most energy efficient work arrangement implemented at the BFTSO. Under optimum operating conditions, net energy saving per teleworker can be 34.06 GJ per annum. Net savings in greenhouse gas emission per teleworker can be 1950 kg per annum. For hoteling work arrangement, net energy savings per hoteling employee under optimum conditions can be 32 GJ per annum. Related savings in greenhouse gas emissions can be 1532 kg per annum. The proportion of total operating and total commuting energy for the BFTSO is almost equal. However, the greenhouse gas emission from total commuting energy is three times that from operating energy due to differences in carbon intensity of the fuel mix. Under optimum conditions the implementation of AWAs at the BFTSO can result in 36 percent saving in total operating energy and 43 percent saving in total commuting energy. The magnitude of the savings is location dependent due to differences in climate, fuel mix and transportation patterns. Alternative Work Arrangements have mixed social impact. It can improve the ability of employees to balance their personal and professional life. It can also lead to isolation that can adversely impact morale and work output. The participation rate in AWAs within organizations is currently low, less than 2 percent. However, the implementation of AWA is widespread with most organizations using some form of AWA. To increase the participation rate in AWAs, a comprehensive approach needs to be adopted, considering the professional, personal, economic and social impact of AWAs. Government intervention through supporting regulations and incentives can be a strong catalyst for increasing participation rates in AWAs. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of / Graduate