CYNTHIA SAMUEL-OLONJUWON: Pitfalls and pluses: how the pandemic has rewired Africa’s labour market

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While social dialogue and harmony between workers and bosses has improved, gender inequality has worsened

Workers move copper sheets from a warehouse in Mufulira, Zambia. File photo: GETTY IMAGES/PER-ANDERS PETTERSSON

One major policy implication from remote working concerns the environment. Transport makes up 23% of global carbon emissions. Driving and aviation are key contributors to emissions from transport, contributing 72% and 11% of the transport sector’s greenhouse gas emissions respectively. Remote working and less business travel can certainly help bring down these figures.

Looking ahead in terms of skills, digital, communication, innovation and teamwork are the top priorities for enterprises. More than 40% of enterprises cited each of these skill types as a top-three need in the future. Enterprises also noted that workers with multiple complementary skills are especially valuable. Enterprises have also changed the ways they train, share knowledge and collaborate.

Social dialogue has been central to tackling the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic in Africa. The vast majority of enterprises had workplace dialogue during the pandemic, with the most common topic being workplace health and safety, discussed at 86% of workplaces. A significant share of enterprises noted that labour relations had improved during the pandemic.

While the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have been significant across the board, some groups such as informal and casual workers have been hit especially hard. Informal employment represents up to and occasionally more than 90% of total employment in many African countries. These enterprises are particularly vulnerable to economic shocks and were often excluded from Covid-19 crisis-related short-term financial assistance programmes for businesses.

 

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