globalisering og arbeiderbevegelsen kristian stokke [email protected]
TRANSCRIPT
Globalization and labour
HyperglobalismHyperglobalism There is no alternativeThere is no alternative End of working class End of working class
& real world socialism& real world socialism Global capital/local Global capital/local
labour: Race to the labour: Race to the bottombottom
Alternative positionAlternative position Globalization transforms economic relations and Globalization transforms economic relations and
thereby poses thereby poses challengeschallenges for organized labor for organized labor Organized labor makes Organized labor makes strategic decisionsstrategic decisions regarding regarding
politicisation of issues and arenas/scales for politicisation of issues and arenas/scales for mobilization and politicisationmobilization and politicisation
SkepticismSkepticism Globalization is Globalization is
politically constructed politically constructed (and a myth)(and a myth)
Workforce expansionWorkforce expansion National capital/ National capital/
regulation/ labor: regulation/ labor: Business as usualBusiness as usual
The second great transformation
FordismFordism Mass production of Mass production of
homogenous goodshomogenous goods Vertical integration Vertical integration
of firmsof firms Job specialization, Job specialization,
division of labourdivision of labour State regulation, State regulation,
welfare state, welfare state, collective bargainingcollective bargaining
Mass consumption of Mass consumption of mass durablesmass durables
National economy, National economy, politics, culturepolitics, culture
Flexible accumulationFlexible accumulation Flexible production, Flexible production,
variety of products (just in variety of products (just in time)time)
Quasi-vertical integration: Quasi-vertical integration: subcontractingsubcontracting
Worker flexibility and Worker flexibility and informalizationinformalization
Deregulation and Deregulation and privatizationprivatization
Individualized Individualized consumption of consumption of specialized productsspecialized products
Globalized economy, Globalized economy, politics and culturepolitics and culture
David Harvey (1989). The Condition of Postmodernity
FlexibilizationFlexibilization Labour flexibility as a social process and a political Labour flexibility as a social process and a political
discourse.discourse. Social process:Social process:
External numerical flexibility - number of employees External numerical flexibility - number of employees adjusted in accordance with employers’ needsadjusted in accordance with employers’ needs
Externalisation - part of the firm’s work is put out Externalisation - part of the firm’s work is put out through sub-contractingthrough sub-contracting
Internal numerical flexibility - working hours and Internal numerical flexibility - working hours and their ’delivery’ adjusted according to employers’ their ’delivery’ adjusted according to employers’ needsneeds
Functional flexibility - workers’ jobs modified Functional flexibility - workers’ jobs modified according to employers’ needsaccording to employers’ needs
Wages flexibility - labour’s reward according to Wages flexibility - labour’s reward according to productivity and market conditionsproductivity and market conditions
Political discourse:Political discourse: Flexibility as freedom or flexibility as attack on Flexibility as freedom or flexibility as attack on
labour rightslabour rights
InternationalismInternationalism
Old and new internationalismOld and new internationalism Workers of the World Unite (The Communist Manifesto, Workers of the World Unite (The Communist Manifesto,
1848)1848) You can’t be a trade unionist unless you are an You can’t be a trade unionist unless you are an
internationalist, the reason being that substandard internationalist, the reason being that substandard conditions anywhere are a threat to good conditions conditions anywhere are a threat to good conditions anywhere (Lane Kirkland AFL-CIO, 1994)anywhere (Lane Kirkland AFL-CIO, 1994)
Social clauseSocial clause ILO core conventions to be ratified in trade agreements, ILO core conventions to be ratified in trade agreements,
to apply to to apply to allall who work, including in the informal who work, including in the informal sector and in the FTZssector and in the FTZs
Freedom of associations; Right to organise and Freedom of associations; Right to organise and engage in collective bargaining; Abolition of forced engage in collective bargaining; Abolition of forced labour; Abolition of child labour; Against labour; Abolition of child labour; Against discrimination in employmentdiscrimination in employment
Informalization Informalization (’Brazilinization’)(’Brazilinization’)
Work outside the formal wage-labour market, Work outside the formal wage-labour market, e.g. self-employmente.g. self-employment
Social process: Social process: Informal sector: exclusion from formal Informal sector: exclusion from formal
sector and labour absorption in informal sector and labour absorption in informal sectorsector
Informalization: informal and formal sectors Informalization: informal and formal sectors are intimately linked: flexibilization in the are intimately linked: flexibilization in the South spells informalizationSouth spells informalization
Discourse: Discourse: The informal sector will shrink with The informal sector will shrink with
development (leftover from development (leftover from underdevelopment) vs. the informal sector underdevelopment) vs. the informal sector being created by capitalist development being created by capitalist development
FemininizationFemininization
Growth in female employment worldwideGrowth in female employment worldwide Social processSocial process
Growth of women workers in the ”new Growth of women workers in the ”new international division of labour” (1970s and 80s) international division of labour” (1970s and 80s) and in casual work (homework) (1990s-)and in casual work (homework) (1990s-)
Work in the informal sector means greater Work in the informal sector means greater insecurity, reduced work hours and pay, loss of insecurity, reduced work hours and pay, loss of insurance, holidays, maternity leave, sick pay, insurance, holidays, maternity leave, sick pay, pension etc.pension etc.
DiscourseDiscourse Workforce participation an important Workforce participation an important
achievement vs. pre-existing gender division of achievement vs. pre-existing gender division of labour being utilised to achieve labour flexibilitylabour being utilised to achieve labour flexibility
Gamle og nye bevegelser
Fra arbeidsplass tilformell politisk sfære
Arbeiderbevegelser
Politisk integrasjonbasis for rettigheter
Medlemsskap, demokratiskrepresentasjon, hierarki
Massemobilisering (streik),politiske forhandlinger
I sivilsamfunnet, med vekt på politisk autonomi
Nye sosiale bevegelser
Identitetspolitikk for akseptog rettigheter
Aktivistnettverk, deltager-styrt, massebevegelser
Offentlig protest og kulturelleinnovasjoner (nye livsstiler)
Lokalisering
Mål
Organisering
Aksjonsmidler
Interessepolitikk IdentitetspolitikkSaker
Social movement unionism
Workplace and communityWorkplace and community The emerging social-movement unionism is an The emerging social-movement unionism is an
active, community-oriented strategy which active, community-oriented strategy which works with a broad conception of who the works with a broad conception of who the working people are. It breaks down the binary working people are. It breaks down the binary oppositions between workplace and community, oppositions between workplace and community, economic and political struggles, and between economic and political struggles, and between formal-sector workers and the working poor.formal-sector workers and the working poor.
IssuesIssues Labour standards: Struggles against child labor Labour standards: Struggles against child labor
and flexibilization/informalization globallyand flexibilization/informalization globally Livelihoods: Struggle over both production and Livelihoods: Struggle over both production and
reproduction issues (e.g. anti-privatization, reproduction issues (e.g. anti-privatization, South Africa)South Africa)
Globalization and labour
Challenges, but also opportunitiesChallenges, but also opportunities Workplace changes and discourses of Workplace changes and discourses of
flexibility and competitivenesflexibility and competitivenes Democratic political spaces and human Democratic political spaces and human
rights discoursesrights discourses
StrategiesStrategies Going global: New internationalismGoing global: New internationalism Going social: Social movement unionismGoing social: Social movement unionism