In The News

Most Transport Workers Yet to Unionize

Ridwan Max Sijabat September 2, 2004
In 1998, the Indonesian government ratified International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention No. 87, granting freedom of association to all workers and employers. Six years later, the majority of the republic's transportation employees have failed to effectively unionize. The keynote address at a recent International Transportation Federation (ITF) committee meeting revealed that while...

Commonwealth Ministers Move to End Teacher "Poaching"

Polly Curtis September 1, 2004
Friction between rich and poor Commonweath nations has increased amidst accusations of teacher "poaching." Representatives from thirty nations are meeting to discuss the international recruitment of educators. Many member nations have expressed frustration with the practice of developed countries recruiting teachers from those less developed. In several regions, the need is striking...

The Challenge of China and India

Stephen Roach August 31, 2004
If their economic growth continues at its astonishing pace, China and India may likely threaten developed economies. This dual threat stems from successful implementation of two very different strategies. China's burgeoning manufacturing sector is bolstered by solid infrastructure, domestic savings, foreign investment, and low-cost labor. The strength of India's service-based...

Volkswagen Risks Clash with Union

Anke Bryson August 27, 2004
Labor strife in Germany continues, as Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, proposed a plan to reduce personnel costs by US$2.4 billion dollars. The proposal, which includes among its provisions a two-year pay freeze for VW employees, has fanned the flames in an already heated environment. Earlier this summer, both Siemens and Daimler Chrysler, after turbulent negotiations, forged deals with...

Certified Globalization

Tim Bartley August 26, 2004
In recent years, certification – private regulation of corporate labor and environmental practices – has developed through complex interactions with and reactions to governments, NGOs, and corporations. Indiana University sociologist Tim Bartley traces this history and outlines the controversy surrounding the adoption of these standards. While critics view certification as thinly veiled...

Coping with World Population Boom and Bust – Part I

Joseph Chamie August 19, 2004
The world’s population - currently at 6.4 billion - has quadrupled over the past century. In the first of a two-part series, UN demographer Joseph Chamie says that the global population boom has been accompanied by revolutionary changes in life expectancy, fertility, population aging, and large-scale migration – issues that will fundamentally shape the politics of the next century. Even with...

Kuala Lumpur Cracking Down on Illegals – Again

Leslie Lau August 12, 2004
Malaysia, a nation of 24.5 million inhabitants, has over 1.3 million legal foreign workers and another 700,000 who are undocumented. Though these migrants generally have jobs that are low paying and unattractive to native Malaysians, public sentiment has turned against them, says this article in Singapore's Straits Times. Some Malaysian natives have begun to blame the country’s recent...