Globalization and Worker Rights - Annotated Bibliography Example

Running Head: Globalization and Worker Rights Globalization and Worker Rights Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecture Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date Neumayer, E., & Soysa, I. D. (2006). Globalization and the right to free association and collective bargaining: an empirical analysis. World development, 34(1), 31-49. This article contrasts the labor standards in countries that that have undergone economic liberalization and those that are more closed. Neumayer and Soya (2006) investigate the difference between how laborers are treated in countries more open to trade and those that are not. The study uses measures of collective bargaining and free association. An empirical investigation by the article finds that lesser worker rights violations occur in countries open to trade than in those that are closed. The articles findings are limited by the measures of collective bargaining and free association which may not be true representative of workers’ rights in countries sampled. The article is useful for this essay as it dismisses the notion that countries are forced to lower labour standards in response to competitive pressure in the global environment. Kabeer, N. (2004). Globalization, labor standards, and women's rights: dilemmas of collective (in) action in an interdependent world. Feminist Economics, 10(1), 3-35. This article challenges the notion that the labour rights of women in developing countries can be protected by international trade agreements. The article draws strong evidence from previous empirical work and groundwork conducted in Bangladesh. The author argues that the jobs provided by exploitive employer are the best opportunities for poor women in third world countries. The author claims that any trade sanctions imposed to enforce higher labour standards will lead to these women losing their only means of survival. The articles main limitation is that most of the evidence is based on previous work conducted by the author the article. The article is useful to this essay as it illustrates that exploitive work is viewed as a lifeline for the world’s poorest, making it more difficult to enforce better labour standards. Introduction According to Atal (2013), the intensity of competition in a globalized world is leading to disregard of human life in the pursuit of profits and competitiveness. Bangladesh is regularly cited as one of the countries were the rights of ordinary workers continue to be trampled to enable the country remain competitive on the global market. The Rana Plaza collapse brought the attention of the world the hazardous working conditions in Bangladesh’s textile industry (Atal, 2013). Rana plaza a building housing several floors of Textile manufacturing operations collapsed killing over 1,100 people. The Rana Plaza incident is not the first time Bangladesh textile workers have lost their lives in factory accidents. Barely a month passes without a fire or a building collapsing on workers. Despite this consumers continue to purchases garments manufactured in Bangladesh from the major clothing retailers in Western countries, seemingly ignorant of the plight of the workers who are producing the clothes (Neumayer and Soysa, 2006). Working in poor work environments is the norm rather than the exemption in Bangladeshi garment industry. This point is clearly illustrated by the number of fatal accidents reported in the past 10 years. In 2005, a similar 9-storey factory collapsed in Savar claiming over 200 lives (Atal, 2013). Five months before the Rana Plaza collapse, more than 100 lives were lost in the Tazreen Fashion blaze near Dhaka (Sobhan, 2012). This unfortunate loss of life is avoidable, if global corporation ensure their suppliers respect the rights of their employees. Bangladeshi textile factories are characterized by buildings that rise several floors with no fire escapes; some of these floors are added without permission from the relevant authorities (Atal, 2013). Other negative characteristic of globalization in Bangladesh include low wages and lack of job security. Despite working for shifts lasting over 12 hours, Bangladesh textile workers remain the lowliest paid in the world. In one report, monthly wages were reported to be as low as $40 per month (Atal, 2013). Furthermore, employment is on a casual basis meaning the workers are at the mercy of their employer and can be fired at anytime. Despite this Bangladeshi workers have no choice but to work in these factories as unemployment is very high in the economy (Kabeer, 2004). The oppression of Bangladesh workers clearly shows the negative side of globalization and brings about a number of pertinent questions. Why doesn’t the Bangladeshi government and Clothing retailers ensure that Labour and safety standards are adhered to in the Bangladesh textile industry? Atal (2013) argues that competitive forces of globalization are forcing the oblivious attitude to the suffering of Bangladeshi textile workers. Bangladesh’s main attraction to textile manufacturers is its status as the cheapest place in the world to manufacture textiles. This status cannot be retained unless wages remain lower than in other countries. Until this year, laborers in the Bangladesh textile industry were not allowed to join trade unions without the permission of their employer (Atal, 2013). This state of affairs meant that workers were denied the opportunity to collectively bargain for better working condition and wages (Neumayer and Soysa, 2006). The government is also afraid of imposing stringent safety conditions on factory owners to avoid scaring them away. Similarly, Clothing retailers also fear losing their low-cost producers as consumers demand high quality clothes at affordable prices (Ferguson and Jolley, 2013). However, retailers in the many western countries are beginning to wake up to the suffering involved in producing their favorite T-shirt. In Australia, the ethical clothing campaign calls for retailers to buy clothes from retailers who source their clothes from countries that respect workers’ rights (Atal, 2013). However, retailers have remained adamant that boycotting Bangladesh textile will only worsen the suffering of over 2 million workers in the country’s textile industry (Kabeer, 2004). Conclusion In this essay the oppression and exploitation of Bangladeshi textile workers is detailed. Bangladesh responded to competition in the textile manufacturing industry by lowering labour and safety standards in an effort to ensure the country retains its status as the cheapest producer of textile. Consequently, factory buildings are built with disregard for the safety of workers and employee wages are among the lowest in the world, lives are lost and textile worker live in abject poverty. As long as the country can produce the cheapest clothes in the world, No one cares for the life and suffering of Bangladesh textile workers. References Atal, M.H (April 2013). The Bangladesh factory tragedy and the moralists of sweatshop economics. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/apr/29/bangladesh-factory-tragedy-sweatshop-economics on 31st August 2013. Ferguson, S. & Jolley, M.A (2013). Fashion Victims. http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2013/06/25/3785918.htm 31st August 2013. Kabeer, N. (2004). Globalization, labor standards, and women's rights: dilemmas of collective (in) action in an interdependent world. Feminist Economics, 10(1), 3-35. Neumayer, E., & Soysa, I. D. (2006). Globalization and the right to free association and collective bargaining: an empirical analysis. World development, 34(1), 31-49. Sobhan, Z (2012).Progress and Globalization in Bangladesh: The Tazreen Fashions Garment Factory Fire. Retrieved from: http://www.vice.com/read/progress-and-globalization-in-bangladesh-the-tazreen-fashions-garment-factory-fireon 31st August 2013. Read More