WIEGO / IRGLUS Workshop on Law, Informal Work and Spatial Justice

On the 5th of August 2024, a workshop jointly organised by Women in Informal Employment: Globalising and Organising (WIEGO) and the International Research Group on Law and Urban Space (IRGLUS) was held at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Law. The event brought together a diverse group of academics, activists, and practitioners, all with a shared interest in the relationship between law, informal work, and spatial justice. This collaboration created a unique platform for participants to delve into how legal frameworks affect the livelihoods of informal workers, particularly within the context of Johannesburg.

The workshop was structured around a series of targeted and general discussions, each aimed at examining the various ways in which the law interacts with informal work. A key focus was on the role of statutory law in safeguarding informal workers' claims to public and private spaces—a critical issue for those whose livelihoods depend on access to physical, public space. Participants also discussed the challenges of using labour law to identify and address unfair labour practices in the context of the urban and spatial environment. These discussions highlighted the tension - or lack thereof - between informal work and the rigidities often found within legal frameworks.

Following the workshop was the launch of the book Mapping Legalities: Law, Urbanisation and Informal Work. This project, a collaborative effort between WIEGO and IRGLUS, was edited by Dr Thomas Coggin from Wits University and Dr Roopa Madhav from the National Law University, Delhi, and published by Routledge. The book is a comprehensive exploration of how the law interacts with informal work in urban spaces, bringing together contributions from over 28 authors across 25 jurisdictions.

The book and the workshop shared a common theme: the critical issue of access to physical space for informal workers. Both highlighted how, across the globe, legal systems often play a punitive role in regulating space, particularly in ways that disadvantage informal workers. The chapters of the book offer a detailed examination of how informal workers, who are often pushed to the margins of urban society, continue to strive for social and legal recognition within their local jurisdictions.

Covering a wide array of themes—from street vending to informal work in the gig economy—the book sheds light on the collective influence of the law and the pursuit of a modern and often aesthetised city in contributing to the marginalisation of informal workers. Despite these challenges, the book documents the resilience and adaptability of informal workers as they navigate the legal landscape. The chapters reveal how these workers employ various strategies to assert their presence and secure recognition for their contributions to urban life.

The workshop and the book it launched provided a critical examination of the intersection of law, space, and informal work. The discussions underscored the need for more inclusive legal frameworks that is able to extend social and legal protections to informal workers operating in the urban and spatial environment.