Opening Up by Cracking Down: Labor Repression and Trade Liberalization in Democratic Developing Countries

In the late 20th century, democratic developing countries used labor repression to open their economies, such as jailing union leaders and using police brutality to break strikes. This book argues that violating labor rights was more likely to lead to economic opening.

Format: Hardback
Length: 180 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Since labor unions opposed free trade, democratic governments often used labor repression to ease the process of trade liberalization. Some democracies brazenly jailed union leaders and used police brutality to break the strikes that unions launched against such reforms. Others weakened labor union opposition through subtler tactics, such as banning strikes and retaliating against striking workers. Either way, this book argues that democratic developing countries were more likely to open their economies if they violated labor rights.

Opening Up By Cracking Down draws on fieldwork interviews and archival research on Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Turkey, and India, as well as quantitative analysis of data from over one hundred developing countries to place labor unions and labor repression at the heart of the debate over democracy and trade liberalization in developing countries.

Labor unions opposed free trade, and democratic governments often used labor repression to ease the process of trade liberalization. Some democracies brazenly jailed union leaders and used police brutality to break the strikes that unions launched against such reforms. Others weakened labor union opposition through subtler tactics, such as banning strikes and retaliating against striking workers. Either way, this book argues that democratic developing countries were more likely to open their economies if they violated labor rights.

Opening Up By Cracking Down draws on fieldwork interviews and archival research on Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Turkey, and India, as well as quantitative analysis of data from over one hundred developing countries to place labor unions and labor repression at the heart of the debate over democracy and trade liberalization in developing countries.

ISBN-13: 9781108478519