International and Comparative Employment Relations Custom Paper

Students have a choice of two assignment titles. Answer EITHER Question 1 or Question 2:

Question 1:

OR

Question 2:
Critically assess the portrayal of trade unions as the victims of globalisation that are unable to react when faced with dynamic global firms and all the other international issues labour is now confronted with. Illustrate your answer with examples

Assignment Details
This assignment is to be written as an academic piece of work. Students have a choice of questions both of which are equally weighted and marked according to the same criteria. Students are expected to read widely around the subject area including drawing upon the recommended reading to inform their work and enable critical analysis.
Additional Information
The word limit is 3,000 words.
Resources
The following sources are recommended as a starting point. Additional sources and further guidance on the assignment will be provided during lectures and tutorials.

***Reading for Question 2:

1.Globalisation and labour
Frege C and Kelly,J (eds) (2013) Comparative Employment Relations in the Global Economy, Chs. 1 and 20, Routledge (and e-book) .
Bamber, G et al (eds) (2011) International and Comparative Employment Relations, Ch.1 Sage.
Munck, R (2004) Labour and Globalisation : Results and Prospects , E-book
Marginson, P. and Meardi, G (2010) �Multinational companies : transforming national industrial relations?, in T Colling and M Terry (eds) Industrial Relations : Theory and Practice : 207-30., Wiley-Blackwell.
Ross, G (2000) �Labour versus globalisation� Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 570,1 : 78-91.
Dicken, P (2011) Global Shift : Mapping the Changing Contours of the World Economy, 6th Edn , Guilford Press
Thornley, C. et al (eds) (2010) Globalisation and Precarious Forms of Production and Employment : Challenges for Workers and Unions, e-book.
2.Unions and Globalisation
Silver, B (2003) Forces of Labor : Workers� Movements and Globalisation since 1870, Cambridge UP
Fairbrother, P and Hammer (2005) �Global unions : past efforts and future prospects�, Relations Industrielles, 60,3 : 405-31.
Hyman, R (1999) �Imagined Solidarities : Can Trade Unions Resist Globalisation?�, in Leisink, R (ed) Globalization and Labour Relations, Edward Elgar
Haworth, N. (2005) �You�ve got to admit it�s getting better : organised labour and internationalisation�, in B Harley, J Hyman and P Thompson (eds) Participation and Democracy at Work, 186-202,Palgrave .
Palignano, V et al (2013) �Globalisation, restructuring and unions : transactional coordination and varieties of labour engagement�, Relations Industrielles, 68, 2

Waterman, P and Munck, R (1999) Labour Worldwide in the Era of Globalisation : Alternative Union Models in the New World Order, St. Martins Press
Harrod, J and O �Brien, R. (eds) (2002) Global Unions? Theory and Strategies of Organised Labour in the Global Political Economy, Routledge
Frege, C and Kelly, J (2003) �Union revitalization strategies in comparative perspective�, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 9,1 : 7-24.
3.International union organisation
Global Union Federations
International Transport Workers Federation www.itfglobal.org
Building and Wood Workers International www.bwint.org
International Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations www.cm.iuf.org
IndustriALL www.industriall-union.org (represents workers in manufacturing industries such as engineering, automobile, electronics, garments, leather).
Public Services International www.world-psi.org
UNI Global Union www.uniglobalunion.org (represents workers in services sectors such as finance, communications, media , tourism)
4. Union international strategies
(i)Transnational collective bargaining
Arrowsmith,J. and Marginson, P (2006) �The European cross-border dimension to collective bargaining in multinational companies�, European Journal of Industrial Relations,12,3 : 245-66.
Rojot,J. (2006) �International collective bargaining�, in Morley M. et al (eds) Global Industrial Relations, Routledge

(ii)International framework agreements
Papadakis,K (2008) �Research on transnational social dialogue and International Framework Agreements�, in International Labour Review, 147,1 : 100-4
Niforou, C . (2012) �International framework agreements and industrial relations governance : global rhetoric versus local realities�, British Journal of Industrial Relations, 50,2 : 352-73.
Riisgaard, L. (2005) �International framework agreements : a new model for securing workers� rights?, Industrial Relations, 44,4 : 707-37.
Thomas,M. (2011) �Global industrial relations? Framework agreements and the regulation of international labour standards�, Labour Studies Journal, 36,2 : 269-87.
www.global-unions.org/framework-agreements

(iii) EU European Works Councils
Waddington, J. (2011) �European Works Councils : the challenge for labour�, Industrial Relations Journal, 42,6, : 508-29
Royle, T. (1999) �Where�s the beef? McDonalds and its European Works Council, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 5,3.
Hanke, B (2000) �European Works Councils and industrial restructuring in the European motor industry�, European Journal of Industrial Relations 6,1 :35-59.
Greer, I and Hauptmeier, M. (2008) �Political entrepreneurs and co-managers : labour transnationalism at four multi-national auto companies, British Journal of Industrial Relations, 46,1 : 76-97.
Fetzer, T (2008) �European Works Councils as risk communities : the case of General Motors, European Journal of Industrial Relations 14,3, : 289-308
Hall, M and Marginson, P (2005) �Trojan Horses or paper tigers? Assessing the significance of European Works Councils�, in B Harley et al (eds) Participation and Democracy at Work. Palgrave.
Waddington, J. (2006) �The performance of European Works Councils in engineering : perspectives of the employee representatives�, Industrial Relations, 45,4 : 681-708

(iv)Alliances with social movements
Moody, K. (1997) �Towards an international social movement unionism�, New Left Review, 225 ; 52-75
Ambruster-Sandoval, R (2005) �Workers of the world unite? The contemporary sweat-shop movement and the struggle for social justice in the Americas�, Work and Occupations, 32,4 : 464-85.

5. Sectoral case studies
(i) The garment industry
Hale,A. and Wills, J. (eds) (2005) Threads of Labour : Garment Industry Supply Chains from the Workers� Perspective, Oxford UP
Sluiter,L (2009) Clean Clothes : A Global Movement to End Sweatshops, Pluto Press
IndustriALL www.industriall-union.org
www.nadir.org (federation of Bangladesh garment workers unions)
Campaigning organisations
www.asiafloorwage.org
www.cleanclothes.org
www.labourbehindthelabel.org
www.hrw.org (Human Rights Watch)

(ii) Port transport (docks) and seafaring industries
Umney, C. (2012) �Managerial and mobilising internationalism in the British docks and seafaring sector�, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 18,1 : 71-87.
Turnbull, P (2006) �The war on Europe�s waterfront : repertoires of power in the port transport industry�, British Journal of Industrial Relations, 44,2 : 305-26.
Turnbull, P and Wass, V. (2007) �Defending dock workers � globalization and industrial relations in the world�s ports�, Industrial Relations, 46,3 : 582-612.
www.itfglobal.org

(iii) ICT industry
Ferus-Comelo, A . (2008) Mission impossible? Raising labour standards in the ICT sector, Labor Studies Journal, 33,2 : 141-62.
Chan,J . (2013) �A suicide survivor : the life of a Chinese worker�, New Technology Work and Employment, 28,2 : 84-99
Chan, J , Pun,N, and Selden, M (2013) �The politics of global production : Apple, Foxconn and Chna�s new working class�, New Technology Work and Employment, 28,2 : 100-15
Chang, L (2010) Factory Girls : Voices from the Heart of Modern China, Picador
China Labour Bulletin www.clb.org.hk (monitors labour developments in China)
www.industriall-union.org

(iv) Auto Industry
Bernaciak, M. (2013) �Labour solidarity in crisis? Lessons from General Motors�, Industrial Relations Journal ,44,2 : 139-53.
www.industriall-union.org
See also European Works Councils section (refs to Hanke, Greer, Fetzer).
Marketing Criteria
The criteria for evaluating the assignment will include:
� The comprehensiveness and care with which the issue is being analysed and described. That the introduction sets the scene; and that it indicates the areas to be covered, and in what order. The literature surveyed is sufficient in amount and quality, that material relevant to the topic has been selected. There are signs that research has been undertaken.

� Interesting examples and illustrations are appropriately used.

� Demonstrated understanding of relevant theories and concepts which can be used to explain the issues; a discussion of alternative approaches to the issues will be particularly valuable when relevant. The ability to pr�cis and the logical ordering of the narrative should be of a high order. There is insightful discussion and critical thinking.

� The quality of discussion linking theory to fact, i.e. the convincingness of your arguments, reasoning, research, analysis and general conclusions. That the quality of analysis is sufficient, the ability to reason logically is demonstrated, and that a critical approach is taken; no unsupported statements: there is evidence for substantial arguments. The conclusions are well drawn.

� The clarity of expression achieved. As an academic paper, the language is appropriate, the English (grammar, syntax, and style) is good, correct forms of academic referencing are used (e.g. the Harvard System) and the bibliography is correctly set out.