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Industrial relations at centre stage: Efficiency, equity and voice in the governance of global labour standards
[Industrielle Beziehungen im Mittelpunkt: Effizienz, Fairness und Mitsprache in der Governance globaler Arbeitsstandards]

Author

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  • Haipeter, Thomas
  • Helfen, Markus
  • Kirsch, Anja
  • Rosenbohm, Sophie
  • Üyük, Christine

Abstract

Considering the persistent violation of labour rights, questions arise as to the effectiveness of policy instruments regarding the governance of global labour standards. We adopt an industrial relations perspective to compare three broad categories of policy instruments: state-centred regulation, employer-centred regulation, and transnational industrial relations agreements. To structure our comparison, we adapt Budd and Colvin's (2014) "Efficiency, Equity and Voice (EEV)" framework for conflict handling to the field of global labour governance. We operationalize the efficiency, equity and voice criteria to examine the outcome of policy instruments and process orientation, their scope and coverage, and the opportunities they provide for worker participation and union building. Our comparison shows that each category of instruments has characteristic strengths and weaknesses, and does not suffice on its own to protect global labour standards adequately. This accounts for why, paradoxically, we observe both a proliferation of policy instruments and the persistent violation of labour rights. More research is required to improve our understanding of how different political instruments could be combined, and we conclude by proposing elementary building blocks that improve the governance of global labour standards along global value chains.

Suggested Citation

  • Haipeter, Thomas & Helfen, Markus & Kirsch, Anja & Rosenbohm, Sophie & Üyük, Christine, 2021. "Industrial relations at centre stage: Efficiency, equity and voice in the governance of global labour standards [Industrielle Beziehungen im Mittelpunkt: Effizienz, Fairness und Mitsprache in der G," Industrielle Beziehungen. Zeitschrift für Arbeit, Organisation und Management, Verlag Barbara Budrich, vol. 28(2), pages 148-171.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:indbez:280437
    DOI: 10.3224/indbez.v28i2.03
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Thomas Haipeter & Sophie Rosenbohm & Christine Üyük, 2024. "The missing link: The significance of institutional interdependencies and dynamics of action for transnational labour regulation in multinational companies," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 62(3), pages 521-539, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Critical pluralism; global labour standards; global framework agreements; multinational companies; ILO; global labour governance; kritischer Pluralismus; globale Arbeitsstandards; globale Rahmenabkommen; multinationale Unternehmen; ILO; Governance globaler Arbeitsstandards;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • F66 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Labor
    • J80 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - General
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

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