Free Trade Agreements and Global Labour Governance: The European Union's Trade-Labour Linkage in a Value Chain World

This book examines the impact of the EU's 'new generation free trade agreements' on workers, focusing on the trade-labour linkage in an era of global value chains. It argues that labour provisions in these agreements have been limited and mismatched with workplace concerns, and provides insights into debates on trade governance, labour regulation, and progressive trade policy.

Format: Hardback
Length: 190 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Exploring the intricate and often contentious relationship between trade and labor, this comprehensive work delves into the impact of the European Union's (EU) 'new generation' free trade agreements on workers. Drawing upon extensive original research, including over 200 in-depth interviews with key actors across the EU and its trading partners, the book examines the effectiveness of the trade-labour linkage in an era characterized by global value chains.

The EU firmly asserts that trade can be a force for positive change, claiming that the labor provisions included in its free trade agreements ensure that economic growth and high labor standards go hand in hand. However, the question of whether these provisions truly benefit workers remains a subject of intense debate. This book aims to shed light on why labor provisions have been significantly limited in the EU's agreements with the Caribbean Community (CARIFORUM), South Korea, and Moldova. It also highlights how these provisions were mismatched with the most pressing workplace concerns in key export industries such as sugar, automobiles, and clothing, exacerbating these concerns through the agreements' commercial provisions.

By adopting a pioneering approach to studying the trade-labour linkage, this book offers valuable insights into key debates surrounding the role of civil society in trade governance, the interplay between public and private labor regulation, and the progressive possibilities for trade policy in the twenty-first century. The book will appeal to a wide range of scholars, post-graduate students, trade policy practitioners, policy researchers allied to labor movements, and informed activists seeking to understand the complex dynamics between trade and labor.

Weight: 460g
Dimension: 162 x 240 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367202064