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Gender, union leadership and collective bargaining: Brazil and South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Sue Ledwith  and
Janet Munakamwe
Sue Ledwith*
Affiliation:
Ruskin College, UK
Janet Munakamwe
Affiliation:
University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
*
Sue Ledwith, International Labour and Trade Union Studies, Ruskin College, Ruskin Hall, Dunstan Road, Oxford OX3 9BZ, UK. Email: sledwith@ruskin.ac.uk
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Abstract

Links between gender politics and leadership in trade unions and how these impact collective bargaining gender agendas are explored in this study of trade unionism in Brazil and South Africa. What the International Trade Union Confederation and others refer to as ‘unexplained’ gender pay gaps are discussed in relation to the absence of women in the collective bargaining process. This examination draws on research in both countries and concludes that gender leadership gaps and gender pay gaps are related.

Keywords

J32J51J71Brazilcollective bargaininggenderleadershippay gapsSouth Africaunionswomen’s representation
Type
Articles
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 26 , Issue 3: Special Collection: Women’s Agency at Work , September 2015 , pp. 411 - 429
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015

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