Adverse Effects of Labour Market Transformation on Public Health in Africa

Abstract

Globally, the labour market has been changing fundamentally since the 1980s. This change is linked to the rapid removal of barriers to trade, such as geographical distance and government regulations, in a bid to facilitate the diffusion of technology and the mobility of goods, labour and, more importantly, financial capital across borders. Among other factors, the transformation of the labour market in the form of re-organisation, re-engineering, intensification of work, multi-tasking, outsourcing, privatisation, increased use of temporary workers, and restructuring, has heightened the sense of job insecurity among workers. This study examines the transformation of the labour market in the context of neoliberal globalisation. The methodological approach adopted was desktop research in the form of conducting a literature survey within an interpretative research paradigm. The study argues that the transformation of the labour market has not only impacted on the workplace but has subsequently also had adverse effects on public health in the African continent. The study further demonstrates that women, compared to men, are disproportionately affected by the adverse health effects emanating from this transformation. The study concludes that the transformation of the labour market, within the context of the phenomenon of neoliberal globalisation, affects public health and exacerbates poverty and inequality in society in so far as health outcomes are concerned, given the insufficiency and absence of effective social protection mechanisms and efficient service delivery in Africa.