Labour Standards and the 'Race to the Bottom': Rethinking Globalization and Workers' Rights from Developmental and Solidaristic Perspectives
重新审视了发达国家与发展中国家在劳工标准问题上的长期僵局，聚焦“逐底竞争”的经济争论，指出在发展中国家非正规部门推行标准的困难，并建议修订国际劳工组织公约以反映现实，同时主张扩大核心公约范围，最终认为劳工标准是发展的重要指标，但应在非强制性的国际环境中推进。
There is a protracted stalemate between rich (the North) and poor (the South) countries over the question of minimum labour standards in developing economies. This paper is a sequel to Singh and Zammit (2000). It considers afresh key issues in the controversy. While fully recognizing the moral, political, and philosophical dimensions of this complex issue, the paper concentrates on the central economic question of the ‘race to the bottom’. It emphasizes the difficulties of establishing labour standards in the vast informal sectors in developing countries and suggests that the ILO conventions 87 and 98 should be amended to reflect properly these concerns. It also argues that ILO core conventions should be broadened to include the right to a decent living. The overall conclusion is that labour standards are important indicators of economic development, but their promotion is best achieved in a non-coercive and supportive international environment such as that provided by the ILO.