Synopses & Reviews
This is the first book to offer a comprehensive analysis of labor's worldwide response to globalization. Ronaldo Munck argues that the national period in labor history is decisively over. Now the labor movement is itself acting in a more transnational manner, with workers developing common interests and ways of organizing that transcend national boundaries. Indeed, the trade union movement could play a major role in the regulation of a global economic system now largely out of control.
Review
"This book will be a basic reference work for the next decade. For labour organizers and educators, students and academics, it is going to be at the centre of debate on international labour and labour internationalism!" --Peter Waterman, author of
Globalization, Social Movements and the New Internationalisms.
Review
A truly global perspective on ‘globalisation, combining sensitive critical discussion of competing theories with a wealth of information on trends in work and labour struggle around the world.
Richard Hyman, London School of Economics and editor of The European Journal of Industrial Relations
Synopsis
Intellectual fashion currently focuses on us as consumers, but the world of production and services still needs us as workers. While globalisation has, in part, been driven over the past two decades by the transnational corporations' search for cheap labour in new regions of the South, scholarly research and the mass media have paid remarkably little attention to the consequent changes that are happening in the world of work. This book is the first to deal comprehensively and analytically with labour's response to globalisation. It provides a critical overview of the main challenges facing workers and trade unions worldwide. Its author argues that what may be described as the national period in labour history is decisively over. Now the labour movement is itself acting increasingly in a transnational manner. This holds out the hope of its playing a major role in the social regulation of a global economic system which is largely out of control.
The author explains how globalisation is foisting flexibilisation and feminisation on working people, but in the process also making them conscious of their transnational links. The 'old' internationalism of the trade union movement is now showing signs of developing into a 'new' internationalism where workers develop a sense of common interest and new ways of organizing that transcend national boundaries. Drawing his evidence from what is happening to workers and trade unions in a wide range of countries in both the industrialized North and the developing South, Professor Ronaldo Munck suggests that we may be on the brink of a new version of what Karl Polanyi, many years ago, strikingly called 'the great transformation'. The implications for workers, trade unions and their transnational corporate employers could be profound.
Synopsis
The first comprehensive analysis of labour's worldwide response to globalisation, both North and South.
About the Author
Ronaldo Munck is Professor of Political Sociology and Director of the Globalization and Social Exclusion Unit at the University of Liverpool.
Table of Contents
Labour in the Global * The 'Golden Era' * The Era of Globalisation * Workers North * Workers South * The 'Old' Internationalism * The New Internationalism * Results and Prospects
Labour in the Global * The 'Golden Era' * The Era of Globalisation * Workers North * Workers South * The 'Old' Internationalism * The New Internationalism * Results and Prospects