The Fifth Regional International Industrial Relations Association (IIRA) Congress for Africa was hosted by the Industrial Relations Association of South Africa (IRASA) at the Graduate School of Business (GSB) of the University of Cape Town, Breakwater Campus.

The hosting of the Regional Congress was one of the value-adding strategic objectives of IRASA’s intention to educate, share experience and provide a forum for networking between the various stakeholders from the various countries. The Congress provided a forum for comparative academic jurisprudence and practical analysis of the developments in the labour market.

It is IRASA's mission to facilitate an ongoing forum for constructive relationship building, learning and debate and to deal with themes of relevance to the South African industrial relations community in order to enhance the understanding, knowledge and practice of employment relations in its broadest sense in and for South Africa.

It was the intention of both IRASA and lIRA in hosting the African Regional Congress to attract participants, representative of the African Continent.

As globalisation and attendant rapid changes in labour markets continue apace, the need for the implementation of the Decent Work Agenda as a central platform for African development cannot be over-emphasised. While acknowledging the need for sustained economical growth, it is important to have a global economy that can deliver shared opportunities for decent work in a sound socio-economic environment.

This means, among other things, the securing of improved quality of work and life, combating discrimination and child labour, enhancing social dialogue and democratic governance in the workplace, and skills development and the building of institutions to monitor and implement policies effectively. Above all, it means that the fight against poverty in both the formal and informal economies be intensified.

Sub Themes:

• Present and future challenges of employment for Africa
• Developing employment opportunities for youth and women
• Labour Market governance for managing decent work: the role of social dialogue and labour administration
• Strategy partnerships for the realisation of Decent Work in Africa
• Global context and comparative developments
• Human Resource and skills development, and productivity
• Social Protection and the fight against poverty
• Strategies for combating gender and HIV/AIDS discrimination
• Combating child labour
• The informal economy

Organising Committee

• Judge Edwin Molahlehi, Labour Courts (Chair)
• Ms Shamira Huluman, Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council (Deputy Chair)
• Professor Frank Horwitz, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town
• Mr Dhaya Govender, Education Labour Relations Council
• Professor Evance Kalula, University of Cape Town, IIRA Executive Committee Member
• Professor Johann Maree, University of Cape Town
• Mr Eric Nwedo, Chamber of Mines
• Mr Grahame Matthewson, ILO, Pretoria
• Dr Thulane Ngele, ESKOM
• Ms Dee Cranswick, IRASA, Western Cape
• Ms Joy Fish, IRASA, Western Cape

Scientific Committee

• Professor Evance Kalula, University of Cape Town, IIRA Executive Committee Member (Chair)
• Ms Shamira Huluman, Public Service Coordinating Bargaining Council
• Professor Johann Maree, University of Cape Town
• Professor Frank Horwitz, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town
• Ms Rita Sello, AMR Consultancy, Johannesburg
• Ms Urmila Bhoola, University of the Witwatersrand
• Ms Maggie Holtzhausen, University of South Africa
• Mr Moshawa Modise, Maccauvlei Training Academy, Pty, Ltd
• Professor Marius Olivier, Centre for Industrial and Comparative Labour Law and Social Security, University of Johannesburg

Administration

• Ms Portia Manele, IRASA, Congress Coordinator
• Mrs Faldielah Khan, Institute of Development and Labour Law, University of Cape Town
• Ms Glenda Weber, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town
• Ms Mantwa Makanyane, PSCBC
• Heins Worst,ELRC

Attendance

There were about 270 delegates who attended the Congress and 75 of them were speakers. The Congress attracted many participants, both academic and practitioners in the labour relations field from countries throughout Africa, Canada, UK, Switzerland, China,Malaysia, India, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa to mention a few.

Sponsorship

LexisNexis, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), JUTA, AngloGold Ashanti, PSCBC, ELRC, Shereno Printers and the UCT Graduate School of Business sponsored the 5th IIRA conference. Special thanks to PSCBC, ELRC and UCT for offering the services of their staff who provided excellent administrative support at the Congress. We are also grateful to IIRA for their confidence in giving us the opportunity to host the African Regional Congress again and for their encouragement.

Summary of Events at the IIRA Congress

• 25th March 2008
  There was a special dinner held at the African Café Restaurant in Cape Town to welcome IIRA and ILO International guests.
• 26th March 2008
  A welcome Reception at the Graduate School of Business (UCT) was hosted and sponsored by the Mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille. The Minister of Labour Hon. M S Mdladlana addressed the formal opening of Congress.
• 27th March 2008
  The Gala Dinner was held at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town. About 200 guests attended the dinner. Entertainment included a jazz band, Marimba Band and Dancers. The Programme Director was Mr. Aden Thomas from Cape Town. The guest speaker was Dr. Guissepe Casale the IIRA Secretary and the Vote of Thanks was given by Prof Evance Kalula, the Chairperson of the Congress Organising Committee and IRasa ExCO member. A special thanks to Boschendal Wine State for sponsoring the wine.

List of Conference Papers presented at the IIRA Africa Regional Congress 2008

These files are available in our Downloads section.

• Realising decent work through Trade Unions' participation in HIV/AIDS Workplace programmes - Christa Austin
• Legislation for the informal economy: The challenges for labour law - Kamala Sankaran
• Paper - Moussa Omarou
• Challenges facing labour inspection in Asia and Middle East - Alagandram Sivananthiram
• History and heritage, status in African Employment Relations: The case of Gambia - Alhajie Khan
• Informality in the Brazilian labour market - Ana Gomes
• Workplace bullying: In search of a global perspective - David Beale and Helge Hoel
• Decent work and the informal economy in Africa: Policy and Organisational challenges - Pat Horn
• Union, productivity and profitability in African manufacturing - Garth Frazer
• The international framework agreements as elements of a cross-border industrial relations framework - Giuseppe Casale
• Work-family conflict and coping strategies adopted by women in academia in Nigeria - Yetunde Aluko
• Record of South African courts in adjudicating affirmative action disputes - Ockert Dupper
• Human resources management in emerging markets MNCS - UCT Graduate School of Business
• ER as a specialised HR profession - Marius Meyer and Melanie Bushney
• Globalisation and the role of its HR strategy: Case study - Fang Lee Cooke
• Globalisation, labour standards and the challenge of decent work in Nigeria - Funmi Adewumi
• Human resource strategies of globasing firms from emerging economies - Anil Verma
• Human resources challenges from doing business in Africa: Lessons from 20 South African companies - Marius Meyer
• Employment equity in Canada and South Africa: A comparative review - Harish Jane and Frank Horwitz
• Indicators of youth employment in a comparative perspective - Iacopo Senatori
• Labour inspection - a Vanguard for decent work? - ILO
• Digest of good legislative practices relating to HIV/AIDS in selected African countries - Jane Hodges
• Social security in Botswana: From historical evolution to policy and law - Dr K Solo
• Decent work and employment promotion: The German experience - Prof Juergen Kruse
• Productivity, investment in human capital and the challenge of youth employment in the global market - Prof Michele Tiraboschi
• The enablement and capability creation of ODETDP's - Guy Blackbeard
• Social protection as a tool in combating poverty: The case of refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa and Germany - Mr DC Wabo
• Legislative options for the combination of work and care in South Africa - Lisa Dancaster
• Governance and the labour market: The contribution of bipartite and tripartite cooperation in South Africa - Tayo Fashoyin
• Alternative means to enforce employer obligations - Stella Vettori
• TCS: Value creation in the information economy - Prof Anil Verma
• Extension of social security coverage to the informal sector in Tanzania: Prospects and challenges - Dr Tulia Ackson
• VALE: Growth pains of a fast growing Brazilian global player - H Zylberstajn and P Chadarevian
• Failure to transform: The role of qualifications in changing the demographic profile of managers in SA workplaces - J Vass
• Unionization, race, immigrants and earnings - A Verma, J Reitz, R Banerjee
• Work-family conflict and coping strategies adopted by women in academia in Nigeria - Y Aluko