Globalization and labour standards: A review of issues

This article examines some of the major contending positions in the ongoing debate on the role of international labour standards in the context of globalization. It covers the debate in international political fora and in recent economic analyses on the desirability and feasibility of a social clause, the impact of core labour standards on competitiveness and economic development, and the relative merits of alternative instruments for achieving a fuller observance of core labour standards. It shows that a wide gulf still prevails between contending positions and that the empirical evidence to resolve some of these differences remains limited and inconclusive.