Labour systems challenges

Market Information System (LMIS). This would usher in a regional mechanism for research, collection analysis and dissemination of data on employment and decent work.
This will enhance effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of programmes. It is against this background that the International Labour Organisation held a consensus building workshop in Harare last week for labour officers, statisticians and workers’ organisations – among others – drawn from Sadc countries. The workshop was a prelude to the Sadc conference on LMIS to be held from the 22nd

of this month in Victoria Falls. The subject of LMIS is not well understood and seems rather obscure when compared to other issues concerning labour. Labour markets in Southern Africa have changed profoundly mainly due to the forces of trade liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation of economies in the region.
The advances in technology, new systems of production and organisation of work, and lately brain drain have also magnified this. The need for adequate information to support new labour market policies and programmes has always existed.

However, in many countries in the sub-region, the necessary LMI is not available, unreliable, outdated, misunderstood or otherwise inadequate. LMI could not be needed much more than at this time in the history of Sadc countries and their economies.
LMI is needed in assessing and measuring the dynamics of the impact of global financial economic crises that have affected continental Africa and Sadc as a region. It is needed in measuring the results of efforts in addressing the challenges of poverty and unemployment. This can begin with the improvement of labour market policies and strengthening data collection and analysis as well as LMIS at regional and national levels.

Due attention should also be given to various national, regional, and international development initiatives such as the poverty reduction strategies and Decent Work Programmes. Implementation of the Global Jobs Pact and the Social Protection Floor in Africa, and the acceleration of efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals should also not be overlooked. LMIS is also needed to assess progress made in the endeavour to reach decent work for all, particularly the women and youths.
Challenges that Africa and the Sadc region face today emanate largely from decent work deficit in the labour market. Here, a scarred generation of young workers are facing a dangerous mix of high unemployment and underemployment, increased activity and precarious work, as well as persistent high working poverty that are showing growing distrust of the political and economic systems.

As governments seek to empower Africa’s people with decent work, they need to demonstrate that employment creation must be a recognised target of macro-economic policies, as much as inflation targets and macro-economic balances. This can only be done through timely and relevant LMI, whose information and data will be used as evidence for formulating, agreeing and implementing policies to promote productive transformation and diversification of economies for job-rich growth.
The ILO’s contribution to the development of the LMI worldwide is through the Labour Market Indicators Library. It is also through the recently proposed framework for decent work indicators, which covers all elements of the Decent Work Agenda.

This includes employment opportunities, decent earnings and working poverty, stability of work, safety at work, equal opportunities, social security, labour productivity and social dialogue among others.

For this reason, the strengthening of LMIS has thus been included in most of the Decent Work Country Programmes for Sadc member States. Issues of brain drain or gain, remittance of earnings by workers in the Diaspora, and migrant workers’ rights are also serious challenges to the economic development in general and the process of regional integration in particular.
The Sadc region is currently experiencing a critical shortage of skilled labour in key sectors of the economy such as education and health due to mass exodus of highly qualified and skilled workers to developed countries in search of greener pastures.

There is need to well document these challenges and systematically account for them through well coordinated LMIS in order to come up with appropriate measures to address the situation. At continental level, the Regional Integration Employment Policy Framework acknowledge the deficit of LMIS in African countries resulting in difficulties of planning, monitoring and evaluation of employment policies for all stakeholders. If Sadc has to compete favourably at the global market, the importance of efficient LMIS cannot be overemphasised.

Weaknesses that have been affecting the maintenance and management of LMIS in member State include relative absence of local funding and irregular and insufficient LMI production. Lack of LMI and statistics norms and quality control as well as enterprise repertory have also been detrimental.
Another weakness has been the limited capacity in existing data analysis and utilisation of policy and programme formulation. Hence, it is important that all member States should be able to generate annual statistical data on the size and composition of the workforce.

At Global level, the ILO Convention No. 160 together with recommendation No. 170 have set parameters for analysing and planning the role of labour in modern economies, and for monitoring progress towards productive employment.

This brings about the question: What is decent work and how is it measured? Decent work can be defined as productive work that delivers a fair income, security in the work place and social protection for workers and their families.

It also offers better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom to express concerns, organise and participate in decisions that affect lives, as well equality of opportunity and treatment for all. ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation (2008) endorses the Decent Work Agenda as main objective of ILO work. This is with its four strategic objectives namely fundamental principles and rights at work, promoting employment, social protection, and social dialogue (tripartism). It recommends that ILO members may consider the establishment of appropriate indicators or statistics – if necessary with assistance of the ILO – to monitor and evaluate progress made.

The ILO has worked on measurement of decent work since the year 2000. The measurement of decent work implies coverage of all elements of DWA (beyond employment), coverage of all workers, concern for the most vulnerable workers, crosscutting and specific concern for gender, and importance of social and economic context.