Documents Marx, Axel 3 results

"Private labour regulation has emerged as an international governance tool for the enforcement of international labour standards. Yet, doubts have recently been expressed concerning the potential of such private systems for effectively improving labour conditions in supply chains. Their typical top-down auditing approach to enforcing standards is considered inappropriate when it comes to international labour standards. This article assesses whether the design of these systems can be strengthened in order to ensure better compliance. In particular, the authors draw attention to mechanisms which empower stakeholders, such as complaint mechanisms, whose potential and constraints are discussed."

"In their introduction to this Special Issue, the authors situate the architecture of global labour governance against the background of the challenges posed by globalization. Noting the limitations of a conventional governmental approach to labour governance, they suggest considering new “hybrid” regulatory modes and mechanisms, which involve a combination of public and private actors and initiatives alongside or instead of traditional international labour law. The authors conclude by examining possible explanations for the emergence of gaps in the enforcement of labour rights, looking in particular at the issues of labour-standard “selectivity” and the stringency with which standards are enforced."

"In this important volume, nine studies identify the complexities of protecting labour rights in a mobile global economy by assessing the role of ILO standards, as well as public, private, and public-private initiatives, in countering the potentially negative impact of international trade and investment flows on labour rights. The editor's powerfully summative introduction and conclusion pinpoint the crucial issues confronting labour law in this context, highlighting the need for policy coordination and coherence. Among the topics and issues raised in the book are the following:

empirical studies of migrant workers employed in global supply chains;

international recruitment intermediaries;

governance through hierarchy versus governance through networks;

trade sustainable impact assessments (SIAs);

the so-called governance triangle – the state, companies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives; and

the OECD's national contact points (NCPs).

Various authors focus on such features as the difficulties of monitoring labour conditions in a supply-chain system, the multiple forms of disadvantage often faced by supply-chain workers, enforcement and jurisdictional roadblocks, and pitfalls caused by prioritizing quantitative modelling at the expense of qualitative analysis. Authors and editors both offer recommendations on ways to not only hold multinationals responsible for the negative externalities of their actions but also provide building blocks for"