Short end of stick at work

FEMALE BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS STILL ON LOW PAY – BUT COMPANIES CAN HELP

Anewly released report taking stock of workplace empowerment progress, has painted a bleak picture for women: recording a mere 6% achieved from 1999 to 2016.

Despite an increase in employing of women from 1999 to 2016, with those employed at skilled technical level having increased from 40% to 46%, the career prospects of female blue-collar workers and their associated pay was still at the lower-end of the market, according to the 2018 South African Board for People Practices Women’s Report.

Lize Barclay, one of the report’s authors, says women working at semi-skilled level increased from 39% to 42.8% and at unskilled level increased from 29% to 40.7% in the same period.

But the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIR) technology would allow women to participate in jobs that previously excluded them due to their lack of strength, stamina and education level.

Barclay has called on business to “provide women with opportunities and skills to embrace technology in order to earn a decent livelihood”.

“There are still high levels of segregation around gender with regard to which jobs are ‘acceptable’ for women to perform, with slow progress being made in enticing women to artisan jobs with financial and career potential.”

Pinning her hopes for the creation of opportunities for women on the FIR, she said the current definition of blue-collar workers “as people with low or no skills, who perform manual labour will change with the coming of the FIR”.

“The FIR appears to be threatening white-collar workers, while unlocking potential for blue-collar workers – and females in particular – to carve a new future.

“Women could, for instance, run a micro-factory with 3D printing as a sub-contractor for a bigger company, or make craft cider for a brewery,” said Barclay.

The report has claimed daily commuting was “unsafe for most women blue collar workers” – calling on employers to provide assistance. –