by Prof. Edward Webster Presentation given at the 'Beyond-GDP in Africa: Innovative Ideas for a Regional Dashboard' workshop, Centre for the study of Governance Innovation, University of Pretoria. www.governanceinnovation.org

2. Recycling waste on the streets of Johannesburg
Photo: Alexia Webster

3. Outline of presentation
1. Definition of Decent Work and the problems in
developing a global definition
2. Explanation of the diagnostic tool we developed
to measure Decent Work
3. Suggest a way to implement the tool

4. Defining decent work: ILO
Employment opportunities
Stability and Security at Work
Adequate Earnings and Productive Work
Decent Hours of Work
Combining Work, Family and Personal Life
Equal Opportunity and Treatment
Safe Work Environment
Social Protection
Promotion of Social Dialogue

5. Negotiating the tensions within
Decent Work
Potential tension between the first indicator, creating employment
opportunities and the other eight indicators, that add costs to
employment by demanding a series of worker rights.
These tensions can only be resolved by a series of negotiations at
all levels of the economy and society with all stakeholders.
This will involve a series of trade-offs amongst all stakeholders.
It will involve an alternative developmental path that allows for
the goal of decent work to be realised over time through a series
of immediate, short , medium and long term goals

6. Research Method
Private security industry, agricultural labour and the
hospitality sector in Gauteng
 Interviewed over 3000 workers
 Quantitative surveys were supplemented with qualitative
in-depth interviews.
 Distinctive research instrument because it focuses on
individual workers, in particular occupations, at sector
level.
 Contrasts with the standard ILO Decent Work Index, which
is an instrument designed to measure decent work for the
country as a whole

7. Private Security Guards
Fastest growing industry and occupation in South Africa
First port of entry into the labour market for many who
migrate into the city from rural areas and other African
countries
The industry is very competitive and global, G4S.
“Boredom is our daily bread, it is a lonely job. So boredom
is something you cannot run away from. Every-day I just
come and sit here. You can play music, but you get tired of
it. The night is very lonely – 12 hours is a long time. You
just sit there and you think” (Sipho, 07/08/11).

8. Nine Indicators for Measuring Decent Work
amongst Security Guards
0.02
0.50
0.40
0.36
0.45
0.08
0.40
0.73
0.63
0.33
0.34
0.64
0.61
0.52
0.17
0.52
0.74
0.61
0.34
0.31
0.70
0.72
0.66
0.55
0.15
0.51
0.75
0.63
0.42
0.33
0.70
0.50
Employment opportunities
Stability & security at work
Earnings
Hours
Work, family & personal life
Equal opportunity & treatment
Safety
Social protection
Social dialogue
0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80
In-house employees Registered outsource Unregistered outsurce Self-employed

9. Farm Workers
Farm workers declined from 1.1 million in 1993 to 796 806
in 2007
Shift from permanent workers to casual and seasonal
Low unionization – 3%
“He tells you to leave through the same gate you came in so I
just hang in there just so I can stay here. I hang in there … I
have tried telling him about the working conditions, but the
problem is the gate … The gate! You must just head straight for
the gate. If you came in through it, leave through it that is what
he will tell you” (Interview, 25/03/2012).

10. Decent Work Index among Farm
Workers, by type of Farming
0.00 0.20 0.40 0.60 0.80 1.00
0.48
0.50
0.38
0.44
0.46
0.83
0.66
0.17
0.01
0.50
0.47
0.34
0.45
0.46
0.91
0.65
0.12
0.02
0.51
0.56
0.38
0.53
0.45
0.89
0.66
0.24
0.03
0.44
0.56
0.36
0.49
0.47
0.81
0.64
0.16
0.02
Employment opportunities
Stability & security at work
Earnings
Hours
Work, family & personal life
Equal opportunity & treatment
Safety
Social protection
Social dialogue
Livestock Fieldcrops Horticulture Mixed

11. Hospitality industry
25% non –South Africans (82% Zimbabweans)
Highly flexible labour market, employing a significant
number of casual workers and part-time workers of
whom many are students.
Shift work is widespread with many workers employed
at night
“When you leave the baby he’s asleep and when you
come home he’s asleep again” (Interview: 30/09/12)

12. Decent Work Index for Hospitality
Sector per type of Establishment
0.00 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.40 0.50 0.60 0.70 0.80 0.90 1.00
0.49
0.71
0.72
0.53
0.53
0.83
0.78
0.59
0.15
0.52
0.53
0.57
0.49
0.43
0.88
0.78
0.33
0.05
0.58
0.58
0.57
0.50
0.66
0.91
0.83
0.33
0.05
Employment opportunities
Stability & security at work
Earnings
Hours
Work, family & personal life
Equal opportunity & treatment
Safety
Social protection
Social dialogue
Hotel Restaurant Coffee shop

13. Workers’ benefits across the 3 sectors
Benefits Security Farm Labour Hospitality
UIF Deductions 82 32 -
Paid Annual Leave 62 17 -
Paid Sick Leave 60 24 -
Annual Bonus 54 40 58
Pension Fund 23 8 30
Medical Allowance 7.5 2 9
Transport Allowance 7 4 29
Housing Subsidy 4 2
Funeral Benefits - 69 19

14. Comparison of Nine Decent Work
Indicators for the Three Sectors
0.87
0.08
0.17
0.66
0.49
0.47
0.46
0.37
0.51
0.85
0.11
0.51
0.49
0.78
0.49
0.63
0.65
0.51
0.62
0.13
0.49
0.73
0.37
0.32
0.7
0.65
0.52
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Employment
Stability and Security at Work
Earnings
Hours
Work, Family and Personal Life
Safety
Social Protection
Social Dialogue
Equal Opportunity & Treatment
Security Hospitality Farms

15. Policy Comparing the Three
Sectors
Four of the decent work indicators load relatively
strongly by virtue of their correlation with each other:
Stability and Security at Work
Earnings
Social Protection
Social Dialogue (less strongly).

16. 3. A Strategy for a Practical Route
for Monitoring Decent Work
The results of this research be presented to
employers , unions (including other worker
representatives ) in particular sectors and with
government set goals to achieve decent work, and
use system to monitor progress towards these goals