Globalisation and the Role of Trade Union Movement

• Author: Marva A. Phillips and Shakira Maragh-Maxwell
• Pages: 324-340

324 HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Globalisation and the Role of the

Trade Union Movement

With the evolution of the global economy and the rapid developments in

technology, an inclusive market place has been created. This has changed

the nature of relationships and interactions between individuals, national

groups and nation states thus initiating the debate on the positives and negatives

of globalisation. Within the emerging debate, some argue that this new era

brings both progress and regression. Progress, because with technological

advancements the world will see major improvements in the fields of medicine,

science, astronomy and geography. Regression, because of the emphasis placed

on the ideology of “the survival of the fittest” (Thomas, 2000: 14).

The focus of this chapter is on the adjustments that must be made by

workers and their trade unions in response to the new ideology. It argues that

trade unions must see globalisation as much more than simply changes in the

economy or in the relationships between nation states. It is about open societies

and open economies, a process that directly affects the daily lives of people. If

the essence of trade unionism is that people are born with a birthright of

freedom that cannot be taken from them "without doing violence to ... human

nature …" (ICFTU, 1964: 7) then trade unions and workers must adjust to

the challenges presented by the new global economy and ensure that social

progress is kept apace with globalisation. It must also be borne in mind that

the skills and competencies now required for survival are greatly influenced

by technology and demands that the individual acquires and utilises the

requisite techniques. With this in mind, and recognising that “man” is being

replaced by machine in a world that still does not provide for the basic needs

of all humanity, there are two questions that come to mind. The first is whether

the global market place allows the individual to obtain decent work, which “is

the first step out of poverty and an important stride towards greater social

integration” and provides the ability to maintain a decent standard of living.

The second is this: if the quality of the labour required is that of skilled workers

 



325

TRADE UNIONS AND WORKERS PROTECTION

and knowledge workers what then will become of the majority of world citizens

now that the criteria for obtaining work are determined by technology?

'&*

Even though the term globalisation is fairly recent in origin, the phenomena

it describes are not all new. In a recent paper at the Annual Conference on

Development Economics held in Paris, Amartya Sen (2000: 2) argued that,

historically, the process which is referred to as globalisation can be said to

have begun around 1000 A.D. Sen states that the global spread of science,

technology and mathematics changed the nature of the old world allowing

such things as paper and printing, the kite and the magnetic compass, the

wheelbarrow and the rotary fan, the crossbow and gunpowder, the clock and

the iron chain suspension bridge to be spread across the world. This, he states

was globalisation, though not termed as such at the time.

The historical evolution of globalisation is also underscored by Benn (2000:

23-24) who points to the fact that, although globalisation may be seen as "the

increased integration of trade, production and finance across national

boundaries," it is not a new process, but can be considered as a more

sophisticated version of colonialism, merely identified by a new label.

Norman Girvan (2000: 65-66) also advances the view that the effects of

the various systems in the process, regardless of the label mercantilism, free

trade, imperialism, development, the Cold War are similar. Globalisation

therefore, is merely the new label for this ideology aiming "to organise the

world according to neoliberal economics." Proponents of globalisation advocate

“freedom,” free exchange and an open market in which no barriers prevail.

Those who are able to benefit most from this freedom are those who own

capital. Today, this process of extraction and gain continues and maintains

the unequal global relationship between nations.

Four primary interrelated factors that have, today, propelled the process

of globalisation are listed by MacShane (1996). They are:

•Increased international trade

•The growth of multinational corporations

•The internationalisation of finance

•The application of new technologies in all these operations.

This suggests that globalisation promotes a philosophy of “openness”

between the strong nation state and the weak nation state in an integrated

world economy that demands removal of barriers to trade and the free flow of