The Impact of Off-Shoring on Wages and Unionization in Latin American Export Processing Zones

While there is much debate over the adverse effects of economic globalization on manufacturing workers in developed countries, there is often an assumption that manufacturing workers in developing countries, as recipients of outsourced jobs, are achieving economic benefits and organizational power. In fact, job growth in developing countries through outsourcing to rival firms often results in declining unionization and lower wage rates relative to traditional manufacturing firms. Competitive outsourcing hurts labor at the plant-level in three ways: 1) it reduces labor’s strike leverage by geographically dispersing the production process, 2) it increases the threat of plant mobility by decreasing plant-level investments, and 3) it increases labor costs relative to total costs, which creates an incentive for employers to keep wages low and unions out. Data for this project were gathered over the course of several research trips to El Salvador and Honduras. OLS regression analysis is used to examine the determinants of unionization rates and wages in the manufacturing sectors

International negotiations and domestic politics: the case of IMF labor market conditionality

What is the role of international organizations (IOs) in the formulation of domestic policy, and how much influence do citizens have in countries’ negotiations with IOs? We examine these questions through a study of labor-related conditions in IMF loans. Using new data from IMF loan documents for IMF programs from 1980 to 2000, we test to see if citizens’ economic interests influence IMF conditionality. We examine the substance of loan conditions and identify those that require liberalization in the country's domestic labor market or that have direct effects on employment, wages, and social benefits. We find evidence that democratic countries with stronger domestic labor receive less intrusive labor-related conditions in their IMF loan programs. We argue that governments concerned about workers’ opposition to labor-related loan conditions negotiate with the Fund to minimize labor conditionality. The implication is that the Fund is responsive to domestic politics and citizens’ interests

Determinantes industriais da solidariedade transnacional: política intersindical global em três setores

Este artigo compara formas de transnacionalismo do trabalho em três setores: indústria automotiva; transporte marítimo; vestuário e indústria têxtil. Em cada caso, os sindicatos se envolvem em atividades transnacionais muito diferentes para reassumir o controle sobre o mercado de trabalho e a concorrência. Conforme as instituições de cooperação transnacional se tornam mais complexas, os sindicatos continuam a lutar com as tensões competitivas (trabalhador a trabalhador e sindicato a sindicato) que variam de uma indústria para a outra. This article compares forms of labour transnationalism in three industrial sectors: motor manufacturing, maritime shipping, and clothing and textile manufacturing. In each case, unions engage in very different transnational activities to reassert control over labour markets and competition. As institutions of transnational cooperation deepen, unions continue to struggle with competitive tensions (worker to worker and union to union) which vary from one industry to another

Confidence in Party Representatives

In a March survey CVVM asked respondents whether they have confidence in selected politicians. The list of figures selected this time contained the names of 27 representatives of parliamentary parties