University to look at how to improve African labour standards

A new research project, led by Professor Stephanie Barrientos will look at how to promote more ethical labour standards in the growing market of goods produced in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This £790,000 project, funded by the ESRC, will focus on South African and Kenyan retailers of horticulture and garments from South Africa, Lesotho and Kenya. It will assess the implications for attaining decent work, especially for precarious female workers. It will examine whether increased regional supply chains (a system of organisations, people, activities, information, and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer) will result in greater commercial challenges for labour, or could be a way of improving work standards.

Researchers from The University of Manchester, Professor Stephanie Barrientos, Professor Khalid Nadvi and Dr Matthew Alford, will work alongside colleagues from The University of Cape Town, The University of Nairobi, as well as the Ethical Trading Initiative. The project will support Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG8) on decent work.