Pragmatism as the Theory of Informal Workers’ Organizing? A Concluding Note

The COVID-19 pandemic identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has spread almost to all the countries of the world. The mitigation measures imposed by most of the nations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have badly hit the global economic activities. As per the latest estimates, the world economy is predicted to decline by 5.2 percent, and world trade is expected to drop by 13-32 percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this way it has created havoc in the world economy and the Indian economy is no exception. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated the Indian GDP growth at 1.9 percent and showed the worst growth performance of India after the liberalisation policy of 1991. According to the World Bank, the Indian economy will contract by 3.2 percent in 2020-21. Daily wage labourers and other informal workers, particularly migrant labourers of economically poor states were the worst hit during the lockdown period and will continue to be adversely affected even after the lockdown was relaxed. The paper suggested multiple measures to support the Indian economic and financial support to all the families of the informal economy workers to tide over this crisis.

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JUVENTUDE, TRABALHO INFORMAL E SAÚDE MENTAL

REVISTA DE CIÊNCIAS SOCIAIS - POLÍTICA & TRABALHO ◽

10.22478/ufpb.1517-5901.0v51n0.48293 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 126-144

Author(s):

Marina Batista Chaves Azevedo de Souza ◽

Isabela Aparecida de Oliveira Lussi

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Young Adult ◽

Informal Sector ◽

Informal Work ◽

Informal Workers

Estudos apontam que jovens podem exercer trabalhos informais por necessidade não por desejo pessoal, o que pode acarretar impactos negativos na saúde mental. O objetivo do artigo foi apontar abordagens, destacar problemáticas e realizar reflexões sobre juventude, trabalho informal e saúde mental, através do mapeamento de estudos científicos. Realizou-se uma revisão de escopo pelo modelo de Arksey e O’Malley para mapear/sintetizar os estudos. Foram encontrados 51 artigos com a expressão: "informal work" OR "informal workers" OR "informal sector" OR "informal job" OR informality AND "mental health" AND "young adult" OR "young adults" OR young OR youth e 2640 teses e dissertações. Após as exclusões das duplicações, ensaios teóricos, revisões, trabalhos indisponíveis e estudos em que os títulos e resumos não abordavam a temática central, analisou-se 6 artigos científicos e 3 dissertações na íntegra. Os estudos são de anos diversos, a maioria quantitativos e investigam associações entre trabalhos informais/precários/desemprego e sintomas psiquiátricos. Questões geracionais não foram consideradas indicadoras de peculiaridades sobre o assunto nos artigos, mas duas dissertações trouxeram essa discussão. Foram inexistentes artigos que priorizam percepções do trabalhador sobre sua condição de trabalho/saúde, todavia, uma das dissertações analisadas abordou as condições sociais e o trabalho precário como sugestivos a problemas de saúde. Indica-se como necessário realizar reflexões que articulem saúde mental a condições políticas/socioeconômicas, considerando o trabalho como determinante de saúde/doença e a juventude como detentora de idiossincrasias que influenciam nas reflexões sobre o tema.

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A Global Perspective on Occupational Health and Safety

10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0040 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jorma H. Rantanen

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Psychosocial Problems ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

High Income ◽

Global Perspective ◽

Occupational Hazards ◽

Middle Income ◽

Informal Workers

Occupational hazards as well as occupational injuries and diseases are frequent and serious problems not only in industrialized high-income countries, but also in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In high-income countries, the occurrence of occupational injuries and chemically-related disorders has decreased while psychosocial problems and issues for disabled, aging, and other vulnerable workers have increased. In the LMICs, “traditional” occupational hazards and related injuries and diseases are still a major concern. Globalization, while providing some benefits to workers, has presented many negative effects, such as transfer of hazardous technologies and substances to LMICs, widening of income gaps, and worsening of working conditions and worker income, especially for agricultural workers, those with little education, and informal workers. The chapter provides a global overview of work and workers as well occupational health and safety hazards and related challenges.

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Labor Movements in Latin America

The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Latin America ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190926557.013.21 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Federico M. Rossi

Keyword(s):

Latin America ◽

Working Class ◽

Latin American ◽

Trade Unions ◽

Labor Movements ◽

Relational Approach ◽

Informal Workers ◽

History Of ◽

American Labor

The history of Latin America cannot be understood without analyzing the role played by labor movements in organizing formal and informal workers across urban and rural contexts.This chapter analyzes the history of labor movements in Latin America from the nineteenth to the twenty-first centuries. After debating the distinction between “working class” and “popular sectors,” the chapter proposes that labor movements encompass more than trade unions. The history of labor movements is analyzed through the dynamics of globalization, incorporation waves, revolutions, authoritarian breakdowns, and democratization. Taking a relational approach, these macro-dynamics are studied in connection with the main revolutionary and reformist strategic disputes of the Latin American labor movements.

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Social Security Enrollment as an Indicator of State Fragility and Legitimacy: A Field Experiment in Maghreb Countries

Social Sciences ◽

10.3390/socsci10070266 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 266

Author(s):

Walid Merouani ◽

Claire El Moudden ◽

Nacer Eddine Hammouda

Keyword(s):

Labor Market ◽

Social Security ◽

Social Insurance ◽

Discrete Choice Models ◽

Formal Sector ◽

Social Security Systems ◽

State Fragility ◽

Informal Workers ◽

Informal Labor ◽

State Legitimacy

State legitimacy and effectiveness can be observed in the state’s approach to delivering welfare to citizens, thus mitigating social grievances and avoiding conflicts. Social security systems in the Maghreb countries are relatively similar in their architecture and aim to provide social insurance to all the workers in the labor market. However, they suffer from the same main problem: a low rate of enrollment of workers. Many workers (employees and self-employed) work informally without any social security coverage. The issue of whether informal jobs are chosen voluntarily by workers or as a strategy of last resort is controversial. Many authors recognize that the informal sector is heterogeneous and assume that it is made up of (1) workers who voluntarily choose it, and (2) others who are pushed into it because of entry barriers to the formal sector. The former assumption tells us much about state legitimacy/attractiveness, and the latter is used to inform state effectiveness in delivering welfare. Using the Sahwa survey and discrete choice models, this article confirms the heterogeneity of the informal labor market in three Maghreb countries: Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Furthermore, this article highlights the profiles of workers who voluntarily choose informality, an aspect that is missing from previous studies. Finally, this article proposes policy recommendations in order to extend social security to informal workers and to include them in the formal labor market.

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On Employment, Wage and Consumption: Impact of Nationwide Lockdown on Muslim Casual Workers

The Indian Economic Journal ◽

10.1177/00194662211023841 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 001946622110238

Author(s):

Kashif Mansoor ◽

Faraz Khan

Keyword(s):

Economic Impact ◽

Job Loss ◽

Muslim Women ◽

Household Survey ◽

Employment Rate ◽

Income Loss ◽

Jel Codes ◽

Informal Workers ◽

Socio Economic Impact ◽

Daily Wage

The effects of nationwide lockdown were disproportionate on informal workers. Based on a primary household survey conducted among Muslim casual labour working in Aligarh lock industries, we add to studies on the socio-economic impact of the lockdown. We find 44% reduction in employment rate and fall in daily wage for 60% of workers, in the post-lockdown period. A net job loss of 20% was found. The incidence of violation with the minimum wages is severe in the lock industries, and this has increased tremendously as high as 90% for some workers, in the post-lockdown. Muslim women were affected more than men, in terms of unemployment and wages. With little to no savings, the income loss during the lockdown has led to a rise in indebtedness with one-third of households incurring debt Rs. 5,000–10,000. More than 90% of them were found unable to pay rent and electricity bills. Protecting livelihoods and dignity of workers is a constitutional duty of the state. This has become even more demanding now. JEL Codes: E21, E24, E26

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Labour Conflicts and Working-Class Culture in Early Modern Holland

International Review of Social History ◽

10.1017/s0020859000010051 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 377-420 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Rudolf Dekker

Keyword(s):

Working Class ◽

Early Modern ◽

Textile Industry ◽

18Th Century ◽

Economic Recession ◽

17Th Century ◽

Class Culture ◽

Informal Workers ◽

Ancien Régime ◽

Modern Era

SUMMARYFrom the 15th to the 18th century Holland, the most urbanized part of the northern Netherlands, had a tradition of labour action. In this article the informal workers' organizations which existed especially within the textile industry are described. In the 17th century the action forms adjusted themselves to the better coordinated activities of the authorities and employers. After about 1750 this protest tradition disappeared, along with the economic recession which especially struck the traditional industries. Because of this the continuity of the transition from the ancien régime to the modern era which may be discerned in the labour movements of countries like France and England, cannot be found in Holland.

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Work ability of Thai older Workers in Southern Thailand: a comparison of formal and informal sectors

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10974-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sasithorn Thanapop ◽

Chamnong Thanapop

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Occupational Health ◽

Work Ability ◽

Older Workers ◽

Informal Workers ◽

Southern Thailand ◽

Excellent Work ◽

Working Practices ◽

Formal And Informal Sectors ◽

Safe Working

Abstract Background Thai society is becoming an ageing society. Independent older persons need to be able to continue to work after retirement. The Work Ability Index (WAI) is an assessment tool for improving the health and work environment of the older workers. The objective of this study is to explore work ability and its related factors among older workers in formal and informal sectors in southern Thailand. Methods This cross-sectional study with multistage sampling focused on 324 Thai older workers, aged between 45 and 70 years, working in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Data on sociodemographic status, health history, and work-related factor questionnaires were collected, including anthropometric measures and the WAI instrument between March and September 2019. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations. Results The participants were predominantly general labourers (23.8%) and female (70.7%). Nearly half of them had noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCDs) (48.2%) and were obese (more than 60%). Approximately 60% (59.9%) engaged in safe working practices. The participants sometimes received occupational health services (51.9%) and frequently accessed health promotion services (78.1%). There was a significant difference in the total average WAI score of the formal and informal workers: 40.6 (S.D. = 4.6) and 37.5 (S.D. = 5.0), respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that workers aged 55 years and older (adj. OR = 1.45; 95% CI [1.21, 1.74]), those with NCDs (adj. OR = 2.85; 95% CI [1.69, 4.80]), and those who were exposed to unsafe working practices (adj. OR = 2.11; 95% CI [1.26, 3.55]) had a higher risk of a poor to moderate WAI. Conclusions Most of the older workers had good to excellent work ability. Older age and the presence of NCDs were negatively associated with good to excellent work ability. Safe working practices improved older workers’ work ability. Integrated occupational health protections and health promotion programmes for older informal workers should be provided by community health services to improve work ability.

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