ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates the number of consequences of the globalising economy for labour in an almost dramatic way. The research highlights the severe problem of rising unemployment and the attendant insecurity for most workers. This is the result of the economic stagnation and decline arising from several factors, including the massive retrenchments of labour that have been carried out as a key feature of structural adjustment and globalisation. Democracy means making decision makers accountable to the citizens affected by those decisions. The research data also provide information on the poor and sometimes abominable working conditions and how unacceptable this is to workers. This covers poor hygiene, poor health and safety, lack of protection against hazardous jobs, absence of canteens and poor transportation facilities, unsatisfactory grading and promotion, inadequate provision for training and education, as well as deficient workplace management that does not provide adequate machinery and equipment or proper maintenance for what is there.
