Skirting Regulation? Trade Liberalisation, Retailers and the Informalisation of South Africa&apos;s Clothing industry

Marlea Clarke, null; Shane Godfrey, null

doi:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.5.1.0076

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Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Volume 5, Issue 1

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Skirting Regulation? Trade Liberalisation, Retailers and the Informalisation of South Africa's Clothing industry

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Author(s): Marlea Clarke , Shane Godfrey

Publication date (Print): Summer 2011

Journal: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

This article explores the recent history of South Africa's clothing industry, focusing on the rapid decline of formal sector employment and parallel growth in informal work, including small, home-based producers. We show that although the changing global regulatory regime and other external factors have shaped employment patterns in the sector, it is internal factors, particularly the country's powerful domestic retail industry and related changes in domestic sourcing patterns, which are largely responsible for informalisation and the current crisis facing the sector. The article concludes by suggesting that the various ‘low-road’ strategies adopted by manufactures aimed at competing with imports based on price are unsustainable.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.13169

Journal ID (publisher-id): workorgalaboglob

Title: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN (Print): 1745641X

ISSN (Electronic): 17456428

Publication date (Print): Summer 2011

Volume: 5

Issue: 1

Pages: 76-94

Article

Publisher ID: workorgalaboglob.5.1.0076

DOI: 10.13169/workorgalaboglob.5.1.0076

SO-VID: fcf25b20-13cc-4dcb-9dcb-05777e535cf1

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Sociology,Labor law,Political science,Labor & Demographic economics,Political economics

References

Audet, D. (2007). ‘Smooth as Silk? a first look at the post MFA textile and clothing landscape’ Journal of International Economic Law , Vol 10, No 2:267–284
Baden, S & M. Velia (2001) Trade policy, retail markets and value chain restructuring in the EU clothing sector , Ottawa: Research report submitted to the IDRC
Barrientos, S. and A. Kritzinger (2004) ‘Squaring the circle: global production and the informalization of work in South African fruit exports’. Journal of International Development , Vol 16, No 1:81–92
Barnes J. (2005) A Strategic Assessment of the South African Clothing Sector . Report submitted to the National Economic Development and Labour Council
Campbell, I. (1996). ‘Casual Employment, Labour Regulation and Australian Trade Unions’, The Journal of Industrial Relations , Vol 38, No 4:571–599
Clarke, M. (2005). ‘Ten Years of Labour Market Reform in South Africa: real gains for workers?’ Canadian Journal of African Studies, Special Issue: A Decade of Democracy in Southern Africa, 1994–2004 , Vol 38, No 3
Clarke, M. (2006). ‘“All the Workers?” Labour Market Reform and Precarious Work in Post-Apartheid South Africa, 1994–2004’. Ph.D. dissertation, Political Science Department . Toronto: York University
Dayaratna-Banda, O. and J. Whalley (2007) ‘After the MFA, the CCAs (China Containment Agreements)’ Working Paper No. 24 Waterloo, The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)
Fakude, G. (2000) Informalisation in KwaZulu-Natal's Clothing Sector, Durban: School Of Develoment Studies, University of Natal
Gereffi, G. (1994) ‘The Organization of Buyer-Driven Global Commodity Chains: how U.S. retailers shape overseas production networks’, Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport: Praeger
Gereffi, G. and M. Korzeniewicz (eds.) (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport: Praeger
Gibbon P. (2002) ‘South Africa and the Global Commodity Chain for Clothing: export performance and constraints’ World Development , Vol 31, No 11: 1809–1827
Gibbon, P. (2008) ‘Governance, Entry Barriers, Upgrading: A re-interpreation of some GVC concepts from the experience of african clothing exports’, Competition & Change , Vol 12, No 1): 29–48
Godfrey, S, M. Clarke, J. Theron and J. Greenburg (2005) ‘On the outskirts but still in fashion’ Development and Labour Monograph Series , No. 2, 2005
ILO (2004). ‘Labour Market Trends and Globalization's Impact on Them’. Accessed on (needs date) from http://www-old.itcilo.org/actrav/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/seura/mains.htm#Employment
Kaplinsky, R. and M. Morris (2006). ‘The Asian Drivers and SSA: MFA Quota Removal and the Portents for African Industrialisation?’ Unpublished research report
Kenny, B. (2003) ‘Labour Market Flexibility in the Retail Sector: Possibilities for Resistance’ Rethinking the Labour Movements in the ‘New South Africa’ , Burlington: Ashgate, 168–183
Kenny, B. (2004) Divisions of Labor, Experiences of Class: Changing Collective Identities of East Rand Food Retail Sector Workers through South Africa's Democratic Transition , Department of Anthropology, Madison: University of Wisconsin
Morris, M. (2007) ‘The rapid increase of Chinese imports: how do we assess the industrial, labour and socio-economic implications?’, Johannesburg: 20^th Annual Labour Law Conference
Morris, M. and L. Reed (2008) A Sectoral Analysis of Skills Gaps and Shortages in the Clothing and Textile Industry in South Africa . Pretoria: Report for the Human Sciences Research Council
Morris M and J Barnes (2008) ‘Globalisation, the changed Global Dynamics of the Clothing and Textile Value Chains and the Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa’. Research and Statistics Branch Working Paper 10/2008 , Vienna: United Nations Industrial Development Organisation
Naumann, E. (2002) Wesgro Background Report on the Clothing Industry in the Western Cape Province of South Africa . Cape Town: Wesgro
October, L. (1996) ‘Sectors, Clusters and Regions: a study of the Cape clothing industry’. Working Paper 2, Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town
Quinlan, M. (2003) Flexible Work and Organisational Arrangements - Regulatory Problems and Responses , Working Paper #16, Canberra: National Research Centre for OHS Regulation, Australian National University
SACTWU (2006) ‘SACTWU welcomes cutback on clothing and textile imports from China’, Press Release, Monday, 04 September. Accessed on March 20th, 2011 from http://sactwu.org.za/pr-and-news/archived-2006/76-sactwu-welcomes-cutback-on-clothing-and-textile-imports-from-china-Swart
Commission (Panel and Task Group for the Textile and Clothing Industries) (1994) Long-term Strategic Plan for the Textile and Clothing Industries in South Africa , Pretoria: Department of Trade and Industry
Staritz C. (2010) Competing in the Post-Quota and Post-Crisis World: global buyers and the clothing sector in low-income countries . Washington DC: World Bank.
Staritz C. (2010) ‘Overview of the development of the clothing sectors in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland’, Washington DC: World Bank
Theron, J. and S. Godfrey (2000) Protecting Workers on the Periphery , Cape Town: Institute of Development and Labour Law
van Eeden, J. and T. Taku Fundira (2008) South African quotas on Chinese clothing and textiles:18 month economic review . tralac Working Paper No 08/2008, November. Stellenbosch, tralac.
Vlok, E. (2006) ‘The Textile and Clothing Industry in South Africa’ in Sub-Saharan Africa . Bonn, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Yamagata, T. (2007) ‘Prospects for Development of the Garment Industry in Developing Countries: what has happened since the MFA phase-out?’ Discussion Paper No. 101, Chiba, Japan: Institute of Developing Economies (IDE), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Audet, D. (2007). ‘Smooth as Silk? a first look at the post MFA textile and clothing landscape’ Journal of International Economic Law , Vol 10, No 2:267–284

[2] Baden, S & M. Velia (2001) Trade policy, retail markets and value chain restructuring in the EU clothing sector , Ottawa: Research report submitted to the IDRC

[3] Barrientos, S. and A. Kritzinger (2004) ‘Squaring the circle: global production and the informalization of work in South African fruit exports’. Journal of International Development , Vol 16, No 1:81–92

[4] Barnes J. (2005) A Strategic Assessment of the South African Clothing Sector . Report submitted to the National Economic Development and Labour Council

[5] Campbell, I. (1996). ‘Casual Employment, Labour Regulation and Australian Trade Unions’, The Journal of Industrial Relations , Vol 38, No 4:571–599

[6] Clarke, M. (2005). ‘Ten Years of Labour Market Reform in South Africa: real gains for workers?’ Canadian Journal of African Studies, Special Issue: A Decade of Democracy in Southern Africa, 1994–2004 , Vol 38, No 3

[7] Clarke, M. (2006). ‘“All the Workers?” Labour Market Reform and Precarious Work in Post-Apartheid South Africa, 1994–2004’. Ph.D. dissertation, Political Science Department . Toronto: York University

[8] Dayaratna-Banda, O. and J. Whalley (2007) ‘After the MFA, the CCAs (China Containment Agreements)’ Working Paper No. 24 Waterloo, The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)

[9] Fakude, G. (2000) Informalisation in KwaZulu-Natal's Clothing Sector, Durban: School Of Develoment Studies, University of Natal

[10] Gereffi, G. (1994) ‘The Organization of Buyer-Driven Global Commodity Chains: how U.S. retailers shape overseas production networks’, Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport: Praeger

[11] Gereffi, G. and M. Korzeniewicz (eds.) (1994) Commodity Chains and Global Capitalism, Westport: Praeger

[12] Gibbon P. (2002) ‘South Africa and the Global Commodity Chain for Clothing: export performance and constraints’ World Development , Vol 31, No 11: 1809–1827

[13] Gibbon, P. (2008) ‘Governance, Entry Barriers, Upgrading: A re-interpreation of some GVC concepts from the experience of african clothing exports’, Competition & Change , Vol 12, No 1): 29–48

[14] Godfrey, S, M. Clarke, J. Theron and J. Greenburg (2005) ‘On the outskirts but still in fashion’ Development and Labour Monograph Series , No. 2, 2005

[15] ILO (2004). ‘Labour Market Trends and Globalization's Impact on Them’. Accessed on (needs date) from http://www-old.itcilo.org/actrav/actrav-english/telearn/global/ilo/seura/mains.htm#Employment

[16] Kaplinsky, R. and M. Morris (2006). ‘The Asian Drivers and SSA: MFA Quota Removal and the Portents for African Industrialisation?’ Unpublished research report

[17] Kenny, B. (2003) ‘Labour Market Flexibility in the Retail Sector: Possibilities for Resistance’ Rethinking the Labour Movements in the ‘New South Africa’ , Burlington: Ashgate, 168–183

[18] Kenny, B. (2004) Divisions of Labor, Experiences of Class: Changing Collective Identities of East Rand Food Retail Sector Workers through South Africa's Democratic Transition , Department of Anthropology, Madison: University of Wisconsin

[19] Morris, M. (2007) ‘The rapid increase of Chinese imports: how do we assess the industrial, labour and socio-economic implications?’, Johannesburg: 20^th Annual Labour Law Conference

[20] Morris, M. and L. Reed (2008) A Sectoral Analysis of Skills Gaps and Shortages in the Clothing and Textile Industry in South Africa . Pretoria: Report for the Human Sciences Research Council

[21] Morris M and J Barnes (2008) ‘Globalisation, the changed Global Dynamics of the Clothing and Textile Value Chains and the Impact on Sub-Saharan Africa’. Research and Statistics Branch Working Paper 10/2008 , Vienna: United Nations Industrial Development Organisation

[22] Naumann, E. (2002) Wesgro Background Report on the Clothing Industry in the Western Cape Province of South Africa . Cape Town: Wesgro

[23] October, L. (1996) ‘Sectors, Clusters and Regions: a study of the Cape clothing industry’. Working Paper 2, Development Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town

[24] Quinlan, M. (2003) Flexible Work and Organisational Arrangements - Regulatory Problems and Responses , Working Paper #16, Canberra: National Research Centre for OHS Regulation, Australian National University

[25] SACTWU (2006) ‘SACTWU welcomes cutback on clothing and textile imports from China’, Press Release, Monday, 04 September. Accessed on March 20th, 2011 from http://sactwu.org.za/pr-and-news/archived-2006/76-sactwu-welcomes-cutback-on-clothing-and-textile-imports-from-china-Swart

[26] Commission (Panel and Task Group for the Textile and Clothing Industries) (1994) Long-term Strategic Plan for the Textile and Clothing Industries in South Africa , Pretoria: Department of Trade and Industry

[27] Staritz C. (2010) Competing in the Post-Quota and Post-Crisis World: global buyers and the clothing sector in low-income countries . Washington DC: World Bank.

[28] Staritz C. (2010) ‘Overview of the development of the clothing sectors in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland’, Washington DC: World Bank

[29] Theron, J. and S. Godfrey (2000) Protecting Workers on the Periphery , Cape Town: Institute of Development and Labour Law

[30] van Eeden, J. and T. Taku Fundira (2008) South African quotas on Chinese clothing and textiles:18 month economic review . tralac Working Paper No 08/2008, November. Stellenbosch, tralac.

[31] Vlok, E. (2006) ‘The Textile and Clothing Industry in South Africa’ in Sub-Saharan Africa . Bonn, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

[32] Yamagata, T. (2007) ‘Prospects for Development of the Garment Industry in Developing Countries: what has happened since the MFA phase-out?’ Discussion Paper No. 101, Chiba, Japan: Institute of Developing Economies (IDE), Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)