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Global Recruitment - Decent work in times of
globalization and crisis
by Dirk Barrez & John Vandaele
Employees are no tools. The International Labour Organization, syndicates and numerous NGOs are campaigning for decent work in this world.
Farm hands, factory workers, web designers or postmen, (nearly) all of us have to work for a living. But this has become increasingly difficult now that the global economic crisis is raging, on top of an ecological and social crisis. Millions are losing their job, while half of the global labour force earns less than two euros a day.
Many countries around the world have prospered thanks to globalization, especially in Asia, but at the same time the income inequalities have grown in most countries. Companies are relentlessly hunting for the cheapest and less protected labour. The internet offers them a virtual global factory hall. As never before they can chop up work and outsource at will in their global recruitment office. As a result, almost everywhere the share of wages in the economy decreases and employees are pressurized in different ways.
Can we do better? Absolutely. Countries like China, Brazil and India are undertaking substantial measures to improve the position of their employees. And the urgent tackling of our environmental problems is one big cry for work. The crisis challenges us to build a social, ecological and democratic economy.