The Impact of Globalization on Labour Markets with a Focus on the Gulf Dissertation

The Impact of Globalization on Labour Markets with a Focus on the Gulf Area - Dissertation Example Presentation and Analysis of Data---------------------------------------------p.39 6. Scope and Limitations-------------------------------------------------------------p.57 7. Summary and Conclusions------------------------------------------------------p.58 "The impact of globalization on labour markets with a focus on the Gulf area including Saudi Arabia" Introduction Statement of the problem Labour is an important component of the economic fabric of a society, the other major components being, capital, market, and the state that monitors them (Jessop, 2002, p.11). Jessop (2002) has also come forward to remind the crucial fact that there are also â€Å"non-market mechanisms of various kind† that have a role to play in the inter-relationships between these four components. And any study of any of the components involved has been becoming more complex in the context of globalization. This is so because globalisation is politically, socially, economically and culturally redrawin g national boundaries. Jessop (2002) has described the basic cause of the complexity of globalisation as a social phenomenon in the following lines: â€Å"As capital accumulation expands on an increasingly global scale, its dynamics become more ecologically dominant in shaping the overall evolution of social systems and the life world† (p.11). ... Topics which have an integral connection with labour but neglected until then, came to the fore after the formation of ILO. This also necessitated a new legal framework to be built as well. Such topics include: Fundamental rights (freedom of association, collective bargaining, equality in employment), conditions of work, child labour, protection of women workers, hours of work, labour inspection, vocational guidance and training, social security protection and occupational health and safety (Craig and Lynk, 2006, p.19). From the above discussion, it can be seen that labour, which is a social system by itself, also will not go unaffected by its environment. And labour being a crucial component of the economy, it will need to have a close encounter with globalisation, which is mostly the globalisation of the economy. According to International Labour Organisation, two major concerns in connection with labour and globalisation have now arisen-how mobility imparted by globalisation affec ts labour across national boundaries, and â€Å"whether existing labour institutions would be sufficient to safeguard ...[the]...fundamental rights† of the trans-national migrant labourers (qtd. In Stalker, 2000, p.11 of the foreword). The practical way to address these two concerns is by reforming labour laws and this process has been going on by taking the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which was â€Å"promulgated† in 1998 (Craig and Lynk, 2006, p.19). Some interesting questions in this context can be, is labour making use of new communication technologies to consolidate itself internationally, is domestic and international labour laws really being