A comparative analysis of the protection of women's labour rights in the apparel industries of the Southern African Customs Union member states of South Africa and Lesotho, under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

• Main Author: Molapo, Tšoarelo
• Other Authors: Le Roux, Rochelle
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9164

Includes bibliographical references. === The introduction of the African Growth and Opportunity Act agreements between the Government of the United States of America and eligible Sub-Saharan countries has helped to highlight the shortcomings of labour laws in certain African states. These shortcomings are particularly evident in the textiles and clothing industries of these developing African countries. Provisions were created by the act for eligible African countries to export products duty free to American markets. One of the products exported by Africa states are textiles. This research aims to examine the shortcomings and benefits of labour laws of South Africa and Lesotho, two countries who have been granted access for their textile exports into the United States of America. An examination will also be done of the labour laws in China and Taiwan as predominant investors and owners in the apparel industries of South Africa and Lesotho where labour disputes have arisen between the Asian factory owners and local staff. The research indicates that irrespective of geographic location, garment workers’ labour rights are neglected the world over, (especially those of women) and that multinational corporations deliberately seek to subcontract garments from those countries with less labour regulation in order to source products cheaply.