Naguib, S.K.; (2008) Labour, markets and industrial development - garment production in the city of Shubra El-Kheima. Doctoral thesis , University of London.

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Abstract

This study is an empirical comparison between statistically recorded and unrecorded garment establishments in Shubra El-Kheima. The comparison covers three main areas: labour, marketing channels and forms of cooperation between establishments. Within the area of labour, our findings suggest, firstly, that there are no significant differences in wages, working conditions and secondary terms of employment between workers in recorded and unrecorded establishments. Secondly, that both types of establishments recruit most of their labour from the same pool. And thirdly that differences in the technology used in the production process are limited. These findings challenge some of the assumptions of dual labour market theories. In the area of marketing channels our findings suggest that there are significant differences between the unrecorded and the recorded establishments. The two kinds of establishments rely on different kinds of cloth and use different markets for dissemination. In both cases there was no evidence of links to export markets. These findings suggest that the two types of establishments are part of two different and distinct commodity chains. The unrecorded establishments are linked to a global commodity chain through imported cloth and import competition. The recorded establishments are part of a local commodity chain linking the large textile mills and local retail. In the area of cooperation, our findings suggest that there is a significant level of horizontal cooperation between the unrecorded establishments. This type of cooperation was found to be lacking in the case of the recorded establishments. The findings also suggest that although Shubra El-Kheima has a concentration of firms at each stage of the textile and garment industry, there are no backward linkages between the private garment producers and the local textile industry. Finally, our findings suggest that a combination of intense import competition coupled with policy restrictions on legally imported cloth, have prevented the emergence of an industrial cluster in Shubra El-Kheima, with the varieties of vertical and horizontal cooperation associated with successful clusters in other developing cities.

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