Economic Globalization And Labor Rights Analysis

Jackie Smiths speech titled, “Economic Globalization and Labor Rights: Towards Global Solidarity” is a speech that is centered among the effects that globalization have had on both workers and unions. The speech has three main arguments imbedded throughout. The first argument is that “economic globalization has essentially enabled markets rather than people to determine how the world’s resources will be used and distributed (874).” The second argument is that “the policies of global economic institutions encourage (and in many cases coerce) countries of the global South to open their markets to trade and investment while promoting export industries (875).” And the third main argument is as followed, “the technologies that facilitate global economic exchange also aid transnational organizing around alternatives to market-led globalization (877).” “Economic globalization has essentially enabled markets rather than people to determine how the world’s resources will be used and distributed (874),” is an argument presented by Smith. I find this argument to …show more content…
Globalization has been criticized for disempowering workers, especially workers from poorer countries. The relationship between globalization and disempowered workers is present due to the loan conditions enforced by the World Bank and IMF, it is because of the regulations placed on developing countries that governments are not allowed to regulate wages or enforce worker rights. Globalization makes the rich richer while widening the gap between the economic classes, however unions are working on forming new alliances that benefit workers; In todays world, worker unions have grown to incorporate women, environmentalists, public health advocates,