Enforcing the Global Living Wage at international and national levels against states and business
It is vital with enforcement mechanisms to ensure that countries work towards a global living wage. One option is to establish tribunals on two levels – international and national. An international tribunal would allow parties representing workers to bring claims against states if they fail to enforce a living minimum wage. National tribunals on the other hand, would have the power to hear disputes between interested parties and corporations. It is suggested that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) would have an orchestrating role for both of the tribunals.
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Incremental steps towards a Global Living Wage – How it would work
Although governments worldwide have committed to implementing minimum wages for years, many have yet to raise wages to a living wage rate and enforce them. The main reason for this is that it is very hard for single countries to do this, as they fear that corporations will move their production to other countries with cheaper production costs. To avoid this, we need a Global Living Wage Instrument so that countries can work together across regions and internationally to achieve a wage which allows people a decent life. Pivotal to this is that they are given a realistic timeline with incremental wage increases over multiple years.
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Why is a global living wage necessary and sound?
There is a need for a multi-level, transnational labour law to ensure a living wage for all because work today occurs in global supply chains where workers and capital cross borders, whereas labour laws do not. The global living wage strategy proposed in my new book is based upon extensive empirical research and regulatory theory and is more ambitious than previous real-life experiments and academic propositions.
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Why we need a global living wage backed by a new international labour law
Competition to keep prices low and corporate profits high often results in exploitative labour practices, with the greatest burden on informal and precarious workers. These workers are generally a part of global supply chains, yet, what they earn is not enough to cover basic living costs. Despite efforts worldwide to reduce the number of working people in poverty, progress has stalled. A key reason is that current labour laws are powerless to help these workers as they were designed with a different workforce in mind. Labour laws are national in scope, while work today occurs in global supply chains in which both workers and capital cross borders. Labour laws regulate employment, whereas those pushing down wages often subcontract production. To close this gap between labour laws and today’s mode of production, we need a global living wage backed by an international labour law.
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Independent labour inspection body, Better Factories Cambodia, comes under pressure from the Cambodian Government
Better Factories Cambodia, the International Labour Organisation and International Finance Corporation's labour inspection body, is coming under increasing pressure from the Cambodian government as part of the pre-election crackdown. My new article explains why.
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French case shows trafficking charges can be used for ‘labour exploitation’ cases, not just cases of sex slavery or domestic slavery
The case marks an extension of the application of the law of trafficking. "Usually, the conviction for "trafficking in human beings " is linked to procuring or domestic slavery. To my knowledge, this is the first time that the court recognizes in a context of collective work in a company that employees have been subjected to human trafficking" , said Maxime Cessieux, the lawyer of the CGT and employees.
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Australia must get better at the business of human rights
Australia’s only government body charged with hearing complaints of human rights abuses by Australian businesses abroad needs greater support, Kristen Zornada and Shelley Marshall write.
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Can the Ministry of Labour in Thailand lead the world in eliminating exploitation of homeworkers?
What can the Thai Government do to improve the lives of homeworkers?
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Regulating informal work in developing countries
How can regulation result in fair wages and ensure human rights in developing countries? Monash Business School's Shelley Marshall explores this issue in her recently-released research. Shelley Marshal is a lecturer and academic at Monash Business School, specialising in labour law, development, corporate governance and accountability at Monash Business School.
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Dr Marshall's New Book - Labour Regulation and Development: Socio-Legal Perspectives
This book is an exploration of arguments about the economic and social effects of the regulation of labour, and whether it is likely to be helpful or harmful to development. Authored by contributors from a variety of fields, primarily legal as well as development studies, economics and regulatory studies, the book presents both empirical and theoretical analyses of the issues. With authors from several continents, this collection is unique in that it focuses on labour regulation in poor and middle-income countries rather than industrialized ones, therefore making it a significant contribution to the field.
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What style of capitalism does Australia have?
Is Australia's style of capitalism the same as that of the UK and US, or does it have its own distinct CHARACTERISTICS? Published in 2008, this was the first book published in Australia that explored the style of capitalism, corporate governance and management of employees.
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Why We Need a New International Labour Law
The peak governing body of the United Nation’s labour arm is currently sitting. This year it is charged with addressing the impact of supply chains on labour conditions. So far, however, it appears likely that the International Labour Organisation will continue to tinker at the edges of the problem when what is required is a bold new initiative to address inequality and promote a global living wage.
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