M.A. (Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Clinical Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Behind the fortunes in diamonds, the great open mines and the teeming town that was early Kimberley, were African labourers. Diggers seemed scarcely to care about them unless they were "in short supply", and many historians have been interested only in the guns they carried home with them. This study is concerned with these men: where they came from, why and how they came, and their treatment while they worked in Kimberley. The initial inspiration for the study came from the chapter on diamond production in Sheila van der Horst's Native Labour in South Africa, a remarkable contribution to the history of the Diamond Fields. The later studies by G.V. Doxey and more recently by John Smalberger which have expanded on aspects of Van der Horst's work, have led me to delve more deeply into other areas upon which they have not touched. One potentially fruitful line of study which was beyond the scope of this work was an investigation into the degree to which the Griqualand West labour question affected the attempts at South African federation in the 1870's. The main sources for the work have been the Griqualand West archives in the Cape Archives, for the period 1872-1880, and the various Kimberley newspapers. Labour returns were printed monthly in the Griqualand West Government Gazette for most years, till 1880. Cape Blue Books were useful sources for the period after 1880. De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. hold very little material relating to the pre-amalgamation period, though the extant minute books of the De Beers and Kimberley Central Diamond Mining Companies provided valuable information. A considerable number of contemporary published works were also consulted but, though most made some reference to African labour, few contained anything worthy of mention.

Construction productivity is an interesting phenomenon which was an initial study into time and motion. However this remains a vital part of the construction industry today as it takes into consideration cost-savings, a precise timeous delivery of projects and the correct usage of materials. This phenomenon itself is a huge challenge to many companies in South Africa. The construction industry in South Africa is seen as a tool to alleviate the increasing unemployment and poverty levels. The ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), has made statements to decrease the unemployment rate and due to these promises, the imposition of the use of local unskilled labour from the local communities has become the norm on the majority of construction projects. This formed the basis of the Expanded Public Works Programme. This initiative has indeed shown a huge success but the programme lacks long-term support. The majority of these workers are taken on short-term projects and thereafter the workers are returned to the unemployment pool. The workers are also aware of the short-term projects and therefore there is a lack of motivation which inevitably affects the productivity on any construction site. This study looks at the challenges faced by contractor's in the Eastern Cape and analyses the effects of the use of unskilled labour from the local community. Questionnaires were completed as a measurement instrument to determine the motivation, leadership style and the communication levels among the unskilled, core and the managers on construction projects. The productivity achievements of the unskilled labour and the core labour will be measured and compared and the findings are discussed.

M. Tech. Comparative Local Development. Department of Economics / This study is a theoretical exploration of what constitutes the economic worth of domestic work in South Africa. Due to the particular conditions of the South African economy, it has been difficult to measure the economic worth of this type of labour. Domestic work was performed by housewives, but now women in South Africa seek employment in domestic labour for economic survival. This study will explore the factors which determine the value of domestic labour in the South African economy today. Though domestic employment is undervalued it contributes vastly to the formal sector directly or indirectly. Domestic workers have experienced a specific type of economic exploitation as their labour is perceived to carry low economic value because no formal training is required for domestic labour. In South Africa, government has enforced legislation that governs and protects domestic workers. This however may still not be enough to fundamentally alter the conditions of domestic work in South Africa and this study may provide a framework for a future exploration of the rationale for changing the conditions of work in this sector.

Skills development is one of the major challenges faced by South Africans, with more than 60 percent of the labour force being unskilled. This affects many industries around the country as are they forced to employ unskilled employees a development which has a negative bearing on the quality of products having a negative bearing on the quality of products. The Plastic Manufacturing Industry in the Eastern Cape Province is a prime example of firms that are affected by the short supply of skilled personnel on the labour market. Required skills range from business skills that are essential for the operating of a business, to technical skills that are essential for the employees who are involved in the production of goods and services. Training in skills has been proven to be a key to success. The primary objective of this study was to undertake an analysis concerning the significance of business skills and training needs for business success. Secondary objectives were to determine whether training in business skills as well as technical skills for the employees, could bring on success to the business. The study further went on to investigate the importance of training programmes for businesses. Research methodology included literature review and an empirical study, making use of the survey method through self-administered questionnaires. The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, frequencies, Chi-square tests and linear regression and ANOVA. The Cronbach’s alpha was used to measure reliability of the research results. The research findings established that training in business skills and related types of skills was essential for the success of a business. The findings further showed that, due to training, there was improvement in sales, annual turnover, and product quality and employee skills. Recommendations included advice to invest in human capital through training which then should improve the quality of products. Further studies in other regions other than the Eastern Cape Province were recommended.

Income inequality is prevalent in both developed and developing countries. In all of these countries there are workers who are highly paid while others are given very low wages. The disgruntled low-paid workers in these countries usually force their governments to intervene in the labour market and introduce the redistributive policies like the minimum wage policy. Governments usually accede to these demands of low-paid workers because they do not want to invite political troubles. That led to an increase in the number of countries using minimum wage policy as redistributive mechanism in the late 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Minimum wage policy is, however, a very controversial issue. Supporters of minimum wages regard the policy as ideal because it provides social protection to un-unionised and low-paid workers with little or no bargaining power. The opponents of the policy on the other hand argue that wages in the labour market should be determined by the forces of demand and supply. It is argued that wages that are artificially determined lead to the rationing of jobs and displacement of the very same low-paid workers that the policy is intended to protect, as employers are forced to replace unskilled workers with skilled workers and machines. South Africa’s agricultural sector workers were among some of the least paid workers in the country. Employers were able to exploit these workers because they were not protected by any labour legislation that workers in other sectors were afforded. Farm workers were only protected by common law. It was only in the 1990s that labour legislations like Basic Conditions of Employment Act, Labour Relations Act, Employment Equity Act, Extension of Security Act and Tenure Act and Skills Development Act were extended to the agricultural sector in an attempt to protect the working conditions of vulnerable workers. These acts as well failed to improve the working conditions of the agricultural sector workers and that prompted the Minister of Labour to instruct the Director-General of Labour to conduct the necessary investigations to see if it could be necessary to introduce minimum standard of employment in the sector, including minimum wages. That led to the adoption of Sectoral Determination 8 of 2003 which introduced sectoral minimum wage in the sector. The sectoral minimum wage which came into effect in 2003 was increased annually by the rate of inflation plus one per cent. It was only in 2013, after the Western Cape farm workers went on strike for higher wages, that the minimum wage was raised by 52 per cent. As argued by the opponents of minimum wages, job losses occurred among unskilled workers. The implementation of minimum wage policy in the agricultural sector was problematic, as the policy was not properly complied with due to several compliance concerns. Apart from there being insufficient inspectors to monitor and investigate cases of non-compliance, inspectors were under-trained and under-equipped. Fines imposed on offenders were too small, which further encouraged disregard for the policy. / Economics / M. Com. (Economics)