Labour-centred development and decent work : a structuralist perspective on informal employment and trade union organizing in Uganda

Abstract

The labour-centred development (LCD) approach emphasizes that development can only be brought about through the collective struggle of the labouring classes. Supporters of LCD undergird their argument by referring to the developmental achievements of European trade unions for the working population in post-war Europe. Critics point out that the global conditions of labour in the current era, however, have become highly informalized and are more challenging to organize. This thesis tests the assumptions of the LCD approach and examines, in a structuralist tradition, how trade unions in Uganda can address the decent work deficit in the informal economy, which in most cases lacks enforceable contracts, adequate earnings, productive work, representation, secure employment, and social protection. It concludes that the “business unionist” organizing strategy limits Ugandan trade unions’ ability to bring about LCD. Also, the specific nature of government influence in Uganda over trade unions significantly inhibits the ability of trade unions to promote LCD.