This is a follow up to our initial announcement when CLiFF featured a documentary based on York University international research collaboration led by Dr Kelly Pike.

Rethabile’s Story, a 25-minute documentary based on research from Professor Kelly Pike will be featured in the opening plenaries of the Canadian Work and Labour Studies Association (June 2 in London ON), the Labor and Employment Relations Association (June 13 in Portland OR), and the International Labor and Employment Relations Association (June 24 in Toronto ON). The film walks viewers through the garment factories of Maseru, Lesotho and Cape Town, South Africa, where workers make clothes to be sold in the US and South Africa. Former factory worker Rethabile showcases the places she used to work, introduces her friends, and describes her role in the DWR-Africa project.

“Rethabile was involved in the first focus group I conducted in May 2011, and later became a union organizer and friend,” said Pike. “I hope this film is able to show that her story is really the story of every worker in the global clothing industry and that it highlights a common desire among stakeholders to work together to address challenges and complex dynamics when it comes to labour standards enforcement in global supply chains.”

The film is a product of the Decent Work Regulation (DWR) Africa project, a collaboration between Durham University (U.K.), the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and York University (Canada) that aims to establish a regional network of researchers and policy-makers with an interest in effective labour regulation. After receiving a grant from the U.K. Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) in 2018, Pike co-led the project and established the project’s partners to achieve decent work in sub-Saharan Africa – and Sustainable Development Goal 8 – by making labour rights more effective.

Rethabile’s Story premiered at the International Labour Organization in July 2019, followed by screenings at York University’s Global Labour Research Centre in November 2019, and at the Canadian Labour International Film Festival, also in November 2020.