Labour reform is only one component of the larger process of reforming economy and society experienced by China over the last three decades. This book uses historical analytical tools in order to shed light on how policymaking takes place in contemporary China: an experimental and self-fulfilling process where decisions are taken only long after being introduced into daily practice. It will be valuable to students of contemporary Chinese society and key to the understanding of 25 years of Chinese labour reform.

In nearly all OECD countries, the labour market has been in flux in recent decades. This book examines the labour markets and the institutional frameworks that condition their functioning in four different countries: Canada, the United States, Denmark and Sweden. Through a comparative study of these cases, the book discusses the nation-specific patterns that exist in a world that seems to become increasingly subject to common social and economic development.

This book provides a detailed examination of the impact of globalisation on plantation labour, dominated by women labour, in India. The studies presented here highlight the perpetuation of low wages, inferior social status and low human development of workers in this sector and point out the movement of labour away from this sector and the resultant labour shortage. It also highlights the perils involved in doing away with the Plantation Labour Act 1951 and provides a plausible way forward for improving the conditions of plantation workers. Rich in empirical analysis, this volume will prove essential for scholars and researchers of labour economics, development studies, gender studies and sociology.

The life-worlds and personal experiences of workers and employees in three enterprises in East Berlin at the moment of political and economic upheaval stand at the centre of the book. It sets out in 1989 at the moment of the fall of the Berlin Wall, witnessing the confrontations with the market economy and examining the reinterpretations of the socialist past as the political and economic changes take place. Disenchantment with Market Economics captures a unique moment in history and unveils myths and promises of liberal market economy from the perspective of those who lived through the break down of the planned economy at their workplaces in East Berlin. While Western managers regarded the expansion of their businesses towards Eastern Europe as a civilizing mission, the East German employees reacted with complex strategies of individual adaptation and resistance.

People from West Africa are risking their lives and surrendering their citizenship rights to enter exploitative labour markets in Europe. This book offers an explanation for this phenomenon that is based on close analysis of the contradictory economic and political agendas that create and constrain labour migration. It shows how global capitalism regulates different stages of the process within an interconnected system of economic dispossession, the construction of an illegal status, border control, labour exploitation and processes of underdevelopment. This is summarised as a regime of 'unfree labour mobility'. Combined with structural and historical approaches, this book is based on ethnographic research. It incorporates those who are left behind, those who decide to stay, migrants who fail and those who are on the move, alongside clustered migrant communities in Senegal, Mauritania and Spain. The book's panoramic approach shows how West African 'step-wise' journeys to Europe by land and sea sees competing territorial and economic policies regulating an unstable and unpredictable trajectory, creating 'illegal' labour through dual logics of border security and selective labour mobility. This book demonstrates that the diverse channels through which people migrate in the modern era are mediated by European states and labour markets, which utilise border regimes to control labour and be globally competitive. The themes and patterns that emerge, in their context of inter-generational change, present a challenge to the accepted wisdom about the individual and household dynamics of labour migration. This book is of interest to students and scholars of migration, transnationalism, politics, security, development, economics, and sociology.

The essays in this book, originally published in 1984, examine many problems within the structure of industry including wage policies, financial incentives and other economic policies. The book discusses the problems from two standpoints: that of the economist who is concerned with labour as a resource and the psychologist concerned with the behavioural activity of the labour force. This inter-disciplinary approach ensures the relevance of the essays to social scientists, managers and policy-makers.

Worker Displacement in the US/Mexico Border Region provides a comprehensive analysis of the social and economic impact of worker displacement in border communities. The contributors - experts from a variety of fields - evaluate the consequences of displacement on individuals, families and communities from various interdisciplinary perspectives. Issues that arise as a result of job displacement, such as health, training and education, are explored in-depth. The US/Mexico border region is one of the poorest areas of the United States. As such, it is of great interest to those looking for approaches that can be adopted to help this and similar populations reduce their poverty. The book provides a rich picture of the policy challenges involved in addressing the needs of border communities. Also examined is the role of, and effects on, the US economy. This volume will be of particular interest to students, researchers and policymakers concerned with gaining a better understanding of the health, training and education needs of the US/Mexico border population. Anyone interested in international trade, economics, labor or migration will find the interdisciplinary nature of the book appealing.

This book offers a selection of intensely researched essays focused on the critical planning objectives and policy priorities that would enhance the promotion of inclusive growth in a developing country. It has taken Bangladesh as the case study. It argues for rethinking of traditional policies and provides arguments and ways to reorient these toward inclusive growth and better social inclusion. These involve a dedicated focus on employment and inclusion in the design of monetary and fiscal policies, trade and industrial policies, policies toward rural non-farm employment, social protection and safety net strategy and the nature of institutional and governance reforms which are imperative for ensuring inclusive growth. The studies included in the book were prepared before or at the onset of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the unfolding economic crisis; yet they provide cursory observations on its likely impact, and underscore how the stated principles and policies of an inclusive growth strategy have become even more significant in the present situation. Bangladesh has been growing respectably during the past decade and a half and has arguably shown strong progress in several social indicators. However, inequality and vulnerability are rising alarmingly, and the economy is beset with high levels of corruption, as well as with various other governance deficits that can adversely affect future growth and social inclusion. The book provides a critical assessment of how far growth in Bangladesh has been inclusive, both over time, and in comparison to selected South and Southeast Asian countries. It constructs a specific 'inclusive growth index' with reference to what the study considers as the significant goals and pillars of inclusive growth. Bangladesh is not the only developing country that is faced with the arduous task of tackling unbalanced economic growth and of implementing the 2030 Agenda. Rising vulnerability, inequality, disappointing job growth and poor governance are also major challenges to inclusive growth for many countries in the Global South. Therefore, the appeal of this book extends well beyond the borders of Bangladesh and the South Asian region. Corresponding to SDG 8, the book is aimed at academia, researchers, policymakers, civil society leaders as well as other national and international development practitioners with an avid interest in issues concerning growth with equity, and in sync with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In addition, the book is a valuable resource for interested students of disciplines related to economics and development policy.

Integrating a focus on gender with Marx's surplus-based notion of class, this book offers a one-of-a-kind analysis of family farms in the United States. The analysis shows how gender and class struggles developed during important moments in the history of these family farms shaped the trajectory of U.S. agricultural development. It also generates surprising insights about the family farm we thought we knew, as well as the food and agricultural system today. Elizabeth A. Ramey theorizes the family farm as a complex hybrid of mostly feudal and ancient class structures. This class-based definition of the family farm yields unique insights into three broad aspects of U.S. agricultural history. First, the analysis highlights the crucial, yet under-recognized role of farm women and children's unpaid labor in subsidizing the family farm. Second, it allows for a new, class-based perspective on the roots of the twentieth century "miracle of productivity" in U.S. agriculture, and finally, the book demonstrates how the unique set of contradictions and circumstances facing family farmers during the early twentieth century, including class exploitation, was connected to concern for their ability to serve the needs of U.S. industrial capitalist development. The argument presented here highlights the significant costs associated with the intensification of exploitation in the transition to industrial agriculture in the U.S. When viewed through the lens of class, the hallowed family farm becomes an example of one of the most exploitative institutions in the U.S. economy. This book is suitable for students who study economic history, agricultural studies, and labor economics.

For this insightful collection, Professor Reich has selected some of the most significant published articles on labor mobility and segmented markets. This book investigates the development of this important field from the pioneering papers on labor market segmentation analysis of the 1970s, through the early debates to the later theoretical models and econometric evidence. The second volume offers an overview of the evolution from segmentation to flexibility in labor markets up to the present day and explores topics such as the growth of temporary jobs in Europe, the influence of gender, immigration and race, later econometric controversies and the phenomenon of flexicurity. The volumes will be an essential resource for students and for scholars wishing to investigate this important area.

Due to changes in retirement and employment policies the participation of older workers in the German labour force has been increasing in the recent decade. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), the book examines developments in the training participation patterns of older workers. The author gives special attention to the relations between the rate of training participation and the level of job satisfaction. The findings indicate an increase in training participation, particularly of workers aged 55-59, and imply a positive correlation between the rate of training and job satisfaction.

Charles Whalen's book identifies avenues leading to the revitalization of industrial relations as an academic discipline. The contributors, a stellar assemblage of the field's leading scholars, demonstrate there is much work to be done: the scope and intellectual content of industrial relations need to be reconsidered; academic and social institutions must be reshaped; and new conceptual and practical issues demand attention. The contributors to this volume examine a broad range of issues. Some chapters explore the conceptual boundaries and core assumptions of the field. Others probe how industrial relations correlates with social capital, the law and globalization. Still others outline new approaches to academic programs and institutions, labor and employment journals, and the integration of teaching and community service. A wrap-up chapter by MIT's Thomas Kochan ties all this together and presents additional insights on the revitalization of the field. Industrial relations scholars, labor studies, sociology and business professors as well as many practitioners will find much to recommend in this book.

This book seeks to gain a better understanding of the paradoxical relationship between the alleged need of European labour markets to become more flexible and the way in which national policies pursue this aim without jeopardising existing high standards of income and employment security. Special interest is devoted to the way in which countries opt for different policy routes to cope with the aim of balancing flexibility and security goals in their respective labour market and social protection policies. The contributions in this book all try to unveil the particular changes or transitions occurring in the various labour markets, to learn about their medium and longer term effects and the role of institutions and policies to cushion the adverse consequences of these changes. By studying some 'best practices' in Denmark, Canada and Australia they also draw some important lessons about the reasons why national policies might either fail or better cope with the challenges Europe face today. Flexibility and Employment Security in Europe is a study rich in data that will appeal to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in economics, sociology and political science and in particular students of the labour market, social policy and European studies. It will also prove invaluable to policymakers at regional, national and European level seeking a greater understanding of the complex issues surrounding, and the relationship between labour market flexibility and standards of income and employment security.

In the past decade unions and community groups have come together around a wide range of campaigns for economic justice--from fighting for living wages, to electing progressive champions, to questioning market-oriented economic development, to promoting anti-sprawl/smart growth efforts. Partnering for Change brings together activists and intellectuals on the forefront of these organizing efforts. They discuss general patterns of labor-community coalitions in terms of alliances between unions and such community players as environmentalists, religious groups, low-income organizations, and local employers. The contributors also offer a wealth of case studies such as the successful campaign for corporate subsidy accountability in Minnesota, Vermont's Livable Wage Campaign, The Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership, and the model regional power building projects of the South Bay AFL-CIO. The volume's editor, David Reynolds, combines a broad overview of labor-community coalitions, practical examples applicable to diverse communities, and an appreciation of the challenges as well as the opportunities for building the movement for economic change.

The relations between Turkey and Germany deserve to be called unique because of their depth and extent. This book offers an interdisciplinary approach on these relations from political, socio-economic and business perspectives. In this context, it is a beneficial reference book for those academics in Political Science, Economics and Business Administration who focus their researches on various aspects of the relations between Turkey and Germany. It also provides useful insight for the practitioners such as policy makers, diplomats, investors, financial analysts, NGOs that are engaged in Turkish-German relations, German companies invested in Turkey and Turkish companies that transfer know-how from Germany.

This book analyzes the adverse effects of globalization and liberalization - acutely manifest in the increased financialization of capital and the concomitant global financial crisis of 2008-09 - on the labour force, especially in the developing countries. Drawing upon case studies from several countries including India, Columbia, Malawi, Brazil and Thailand, it highlights the worsening plight of working class as a whole and informal labour in particular. The essays examine issues such as down-sizing, lowering of wages, insecurity and erosion of labour rights, and show how labour is grappling with the situation. The volume critically re-assesses varied aspects of the growing informal sector: its dubious credential as an employment provider during crises; its non-adherence to internationally recognized standards of decent work; the problems and potential of workers' unions; and the need for a regulatory regime. It also discusses changes in the Indian labour market induced by business environment and technology as well as its future dynamics. Presenting a historical review of labour markets, the work explores the deregulation wave under the globalization of 1980s and the interactions between existing unstable asset markets and labour markets. The book will prove especially useful to students and scholars in economics, labour studies and sociology, and those engaged in public policy and governance.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was enacted in India with the multiple objectives of providing employment in a rights-based framework, addressing rural poverty, checking migration, and building rural infrastructure. As such, every year around 15-20 per cent of households in India overall and 30 per cent in rural India receive some form of employment share under the MGNREGA programme. This volume looks at various aspect of the scheme, its linkage with employment, agricultural wages, livelihood and food security, gender issues, and migration in rural India. It also discusses challenges in implementation, hurdles and the relative successes of the scheme. Based on primary survey data from 16 major states in the country, the findings of the study provide key insights into MGNREGA and assess the implications for other welfare-oriented programmes. Rich in empirical data, this volume will be useful to scholars and researchers of political economy, economics, agriculture, rural development and sociology, as well as policymakers and nongovernmental organisations.

In the alarming contemporary context of widespread corruption and fraudulence in the overseas labour recruitment system in India, this book attempts to understand the institution of emigration governance and recruitment practices in the country with a focus on the unskilled and semi-skilled sectors. It brings together the results of research in the major emigration hubs of India with the aid of quantitative and qualitative tools, drawing from all the major stakeholders -intending emigrants, recruiting agents, return emigrants, emigrant households, Protector of Emigrants, foreign employers, foreign recruiting agents, Indian missions and emigrant workers at the destination countries. The book unravels the underlying discriminatory rationality of the existing system of emigration governance, its logical and structural incoherencies and the consequent inefficacy in protecting the most vulnerable sections of workers leaving India for overseas employment, resulting in unaffordable levels of transaction and social costs. By outlining the institutional failure, the volume outlines the fundamental principles of a new institution which would facilitate orderly, safe and secure emigration, economically sustainable beneficial expatriate life and social protection after the emigrants return. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, law, economics, demography, anthropology, history, gender studies, cultural studies, Diaspora studies, migration studies and international relations, apart from policy-makers and administrators of transnational migration and NGOs working in the field of migration.

This study is based on a wide range of business sources as well as newspapers, journals, novels and oral history, allowing Heller to put forward a new interpretation of working conditions for London clerks, highlighting the ways in which clerical work changed and modernized over this period.

As the Indian economy integrates into global circuits of production, exchange and accumulation, the burdens of adjustment are shared unequally by different sectors, classes and regions. This study unravels the livelihood strategies and living conditions of labour in the tea gardens of Assam. The tea sector has been undergoing a crisis since the 1990s, with stagnant production, decline in exports, and closures of many tea gardens leading to large-scale retrenchments in the labour force. Based on a detailed analysis of secondary data and primary field research, the study examines the extent, types and implications of inter-generational occupational mobility (or immobility) among tea garden labourers in Assam. In the process, it reflects on how even a sector that had brought capital and labour from outside and contributed significantly to the country's export earnings failed to create dynamic growth linkages within the local economy. The experience of the labour force in the Assam tea sector, the authors argue, is important for making sense not only of the development dynamics of the region, but of the contradictory ways in which forces of globalisation and neo-liberal reforms have been reshaping the worlds of labourers in the margins. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of labour studies, development studies, management studies, and studies of north-east India, as well as to policy-makers and those in the tea industry.

First Published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This book calls upon us to rethink and reboot the European Union. The authors dissect the EU's many vulnerabilities: how some Member States are backsliding on the rule of law, freedom of the press, and control of corruption - and how globalization's 'discontents' are threatening the liberal international order. It examines the need for a common immigration policy; the need to rethink the unsustainable debt overhang of some Eurozone countries; and the need to use education to foster a European identity. Given the sum total of these vulnerabilities, the book argues, the EU may not survive beyond 2025 in its present form - that is, unless decisive action is taken. In turn, the book puts forward a number of workable solutions: a European economic model to secure full employment; a stronger European Court of Human Rights to counter systemic violations; a points-based immigration policy; clear exit options for the Eurozone; and an Open Education Area with a common second language. These solutions may reduce the number of EU countries, but would increase cohesion and overall survivability.

Organizing Matters demonstrates the interplay between two distinct logics of labour's collective action: on the one hand, workers coming together, usually at their place of work, entrusting the union to represent their interests and, on the other hand, social bargaining in which the trade union constructs labour's interests from the top down. The book investigates the tensions and potential complementarities between the two logics through the combination of a strong theoretical framework and an extensive qualitative case study of trade union organizing and recruitment in four countries - Austria, Germany, Israel and the Netherlands. These countries still utilize social-wide bargaining but find it necessary to draw and develop strategies transposed from Anglo-American countries in response to continuously declining membership. Trade unionists and scholars will find this a compelling story of organizing, narrated in the voice of organizers, trade union officials and local observers. This is a source for reflection on the daily hardship and strategic goals of organizing. Theorists will be able to utilize the two logics for explaining ongoing challenges for trade unions' revitalization worldwide.

Poverty, famines, wars, and ethnic conflicts lead to large movements of refugees. The papers in this book provide an analysis of the economics of immigration. Junankar discusses why people migrate, the likely destinations for migrants, and their employment in the destination countries. He studies the benefits to the migrant families in terms of higher wages and living standards, and also studies how immigrants fare in the Australian labour markets in terms of finding good jobs, and whether there is discrimination against them. Economics of Immigration analyses the macroeconomic impacts of immigration on the Australian economy and discusses why some groups favour immigration while other groups are against it. Junankar argues immigration has been beneficial for employment and growth; not only adding to labour supply but also to labour demand, hence leading to favourable outcomes. This collection of essays shows how immigration has helped the economic development of Australia, while also highlighting that the historical reasons for immigration lie in the colonisation of many countries in Asia and Africa.

The book investigates Greek industrial relations in a global context at different periods. Combining sociological, institutional, political and social aspects, it discusses industrial relations from statism that prevailed up to the '80s, to policies after the early '90s requesting modernisation and democratic neocorporatism. It also analyzes the dramatic overthrow of the institutional and real balance in the labour market after the conclusion of the Memorandum with the E.U. and I.M.F. and the great recession of the last six years.