IWS Documented News INTERNATIONAL

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Order Code RL34375
Largest Mergers and Acquisitions by Corporations in 2007
February 14, 2008
John Williamson, Information Research Specialist, Knowledge Services Group
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34375_20080214.pdf
[full-text, 17 pages]

Summary
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity has continued to increase, and has
grown in each of the past four years. This reports provides a listing of the largest
M&A transactions worldwide (value equivalent to US$ 2.0 billion or more) that were
proposed during 2007. The report includes the dates on which transactions were
completed and showing M&A deals that were still pending as of December 31, 2007.
These data have been drawn from publicly available sources and have not been
otherwise verified by CRS. This report will not be updated.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:38 PM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

United States International Trade Commission (USITC)

Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade (Annual Reports) 1998 to date
http://www.usitc.gov/ind_econ_ana/research_ana/Ongoing_Inv/recent_trends.htm

[excerpt from 2007]
The report highlights the services and geographic markets that contributed most substantially
to recent services trade performance. Separate chapters on particular services—architectural,
engineering, and construction (A/E/C), audiovisual, computer and related, electricity, health
care, retail, securities, and telecommunication services—describe how each service is traded,
compare recent trade performance to historical trends, identify trends and issues affecting
competitive conditions in the industry, and summarize WTO members' positions on the
selected services as submitted for consideration at WTO negotiations.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 12:38 PM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

U.S. Anti-Union Consultants: A Threat to the Rights of British Workers
John Logan
Employment Relations and Organizational Behavior Group, Department of Management, London School of Economics and Political Science
http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/loganreport.pdf
[full-text, 28 pages]

[excerpt]
This report provides an overview of the impact of union avoidance consultants in
the US and discusses their recent activities in the UK. The first section of this
report summarizes the development of the union avoidance industry in the US in
the past few decades, describes the activities of consultants during counterorganizing
campaigns, provides brief details of two anti-union campaigns, and
discusses the negative impact that consultants have had on the character of labormanagement
relations in the United States. The second section discusses the extent
of anti-union activity in the UK and describes some recent UK organizing
campaigns orchestrated by US consultants. It concludes with an analysis of why
of how to stop this unwanted US import from flourishing in the UK. While recent
consultant activity in the UK pales in comparison with the scale and intensity of
consultant activity in the US, it nonetheless represents a development that should
concern anyone who believes in workers' right to organize and bargain
collectively.


AFL-CIO, U.K. Unions Join Forces Against Union-Busters
by James Parks, Feb 22, 2008
http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/22/afl-cio-uk-unions-join-forces-against-union-busters/


Protocol between AFL-CIO and the TUC [12 February 2008]
http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/protocolagreement.pdf


[excerpt from AFL-CIO blog]
U.S. corporations are exporting more than consumer goods these days­they're increasingly exporting their anti-workers practices as well. In countries such as the United Kingdom, which still enjoys a high rate of union membership, more and more employers there are beginning to use American union-busters.

In one of the first concrete steps to continue the global solidarity of the historic < http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/12/06/afl-cio-hosting-historic-global-summit-on-organizing > Global Organizing Summit in December, the AFL-CIO and the British Trades Union Congress (< http://www.tuc.org.uk/> TUC) are joining forces to try to eliminate the vicious intimidation practices employers use to prevent workers from seeking a better quality of life.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber signed a < http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/protocolagreement.pdf> joint agreement Feb. 12 to work together to eliminate the intimidation of workers who want to improve the quality of their families' lives by forming a union.

The two union federations agreed to share information about the activity of union-busting firms in the United States and Britain, develop a shared database of union-busting activity and create "Busting the Union-Busters" training materials. Both will jointly lobby governments and relevant international bodies to restrict the activities of the union-busters. Click < http://www.tuc.org.uk/extras/protocolagreement.pdf>here to read the agreement.

AND MORE....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 9:04 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Order Code RL34381

European Union­U.S. Trade and Investment Relations: Key Issues
February 14, 2008
Raymond J. Ahearn, Coordinator, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
John W. Fischer, Charles B. Goldfarb, and Charles E. Hanrahan, Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Walter W. Eubanks, Government and Finance Division
Janice E. Rubin, American Law Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34381_20080214.pdf
[full-text, 39 pages]

Summary
The United States and EU share a huge, dynamic, and mutually beneficial
economic relationship. Not only are trade and investment ties between the two
partners huge in absolute terms, but the EU share of U.S. global trade and investment
flows has remained high and relatively constant over time, despite the rise of Asian
trade and investment flows. These robust commercial ties provide consumers on
both sides of the Atlantic with major benefits in terms of jobs and access to capital
and new technologies.

Agreements between the two partners in the past have been critical to making
the world trading system more open and efficient. At the same time, the commercial
relationship is subject to a number of trade disputes and disagreements that
potentially could have adverse political and economic repercussions.

Washington and Brussels currently are working to resolve a number of issues,
including a dispute between the aerospace manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, and
conflicts over hormone-treated beef, bio-engineered food products, and protection of
geographical indicators. The Airbus-Boeing dispute involves allegations of unfair
subsidization while the other disputes are rooted in different U.S.-EU approaches to
regulation, as well as social preferences. Simultaneously, the two sides have
cooperated to liberalize the transatlantic air services market and are working on
harmonizing and/or liberalizing financial markets. Competition agencies in the U.S.
and EU are also moving towards substantial convergence in some areas of antitrust
enforcement. A new institutional structure, the Transatlantic Economic Council
(TEC), was established in 2007 to advance bilateral efforts to reduce regulatory and
other barriers to trade.

Congress has taken a strong interest in many of these issues. By both proposing
and passing legislation, Congress has supported the efforts of U.S. industrial and
agricultural interests to gain better access to EU markets. Congress has pressured the
executive branch to take a harder line against the EU in resolving some disputes, but
has also cooperated with the Administration in crafting compromise solutions.
Primarily through oversight in the second session of the 110th Congress, many
Members of Congress can be expected to support efforts to resolve existing disputes
and to maintain an equitable sharing of the costs and benefits of the commercial
relationship with the EU.

This report starts with background information and data on the commercial
relationship and then discusses selective issues associated with trade in agricultural
products, trade in services, and foreign direct investment. A concluding section
assesses prospects for future cooperation and conflict. The report will be updated as
events warrant.

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Trade and Investment Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Regulatory Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Trade in Manufactured Goods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Airbus-Boeing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Trade in Agricultural and Primary Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Meat Hormones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Approvals of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Protection of Geographical Indications (GIs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Trade in Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Air Transport Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Financial Services Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
U.S.-EU Accounting Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Antiterrorism Financing and Personal Financial Data Protection . . . . 20
Opening EU Markets to U.S. Financial Services Companies . . . . . . . 21
Other U.S.-EU Financial Services Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Foreign Direct Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
U.S. and EU Perspectives on Antitrust and Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
"Monopolization" in the United States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
"Dominance" in the EU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Impact of different laws and philosophies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Prospects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Forces for Cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Integration of Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Institutional Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Shared Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Forces for Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Intractable Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
WTO Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Rivalry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

List of Figures
Figure 1. World GDP in Trillions of U.S. Dollars, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 2. World Exports and Imports of Goods, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

List of Tables
Table 1. U.S. Current Account Balance with EU, 2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 2. U.S. Merchandise Trade Balance with the EU 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 3: Top U.S.-EU Exports and Imports by 2-digit Commodity Classification, 2006 . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . 9
Table 4: Foreign Direct Investment in the United States on a Historical Cost Basis, Percentage Share . . . . . . . 23
Table 5: U.S. Direct Investment Position Abroad on a Historical Cost Basis, Percentage Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:53 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

World Bank
Policy Research Working Paper 4519

Is Africa's Economy At A Turning Point? [February 2008]
Jorge Arbache, Delfin S. Go, John Page
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2008/02/15/000158349_20080215130614/Rendered/PDF/wps4519.pdf
[full-text, 57 pages]

Abstract:

In this paper, Arbache, Go, and Page examine the recent acceleration of growth in Africa. Unlike the past, the performance is now registered broadly across several types of countries—particularly the oil-exporting and resource-intensive countries and, in more recent years, the large- and middle-income economies, as well as coastal and low-income countries. The analysis confirms a trend break in the mid-1990s, identifying a growth acceleration that is due not only to favorable terms of trade and greater aid, but also to better policy. Indeed, the growth diagnostics show that more and more African countries have been able to avoid mistakes with better macropolicy, better governance, and fewer conflicts; as a result, the likelihood of growth decelerations has declined significantly. Nonetheless, the sustainability of that growth is fragile, because economic fundamentals, such as savings, investment, productivity, and export diversification, remain stagnant. The good news in the story is that African economies appear to have learned how to avoid the mistakes that led to the frequent growth collapses between 1975 and 1995. The bad news is that much less is known about the recipes for long-term success in development, such as developing the right institutions and the policies to raise savings and diversify exports, than about how to avoid economic bad times.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:34 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) at the ILO
Research Series 114

In the wake of the crisis: Argentina's new economic and labour policy directions and their impact [2007]
Marta Novick, Carlos Tomada, Mario Damill, Roberto Frenkel and Roxana Maurizio
Introduction by Juan Somavia
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/114e.pdf
[full-text, 144 pages]

Also in Spanish (en Español )
Tras la crisis: El nuevo rumbo de la política económica y laboral en Argentina y su impacto
http://www.ilo.org/public/spanish/bureau/inst/download/114.pdf



Preface by Gerry Rodgers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Introduction by Juan Somavia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Argentina 2003-2006: Economic growth with decent work A new model for Latin America?
by Marta Novick and Carlos Tomada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The European debate and its relevance for Latin America . . . . . . 6
The Argentine experience prior to 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Macro-economic policy and the role of labour . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Labour policies: objectives and strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The agenda of unresolved issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Macroeconomic policy changes in Argentina at the turn of the century
by Mario Damill, Roberto Frenkel and Roxana Maurizio . . . . 51
Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
1. The convertibility regime and the Argentine economy in the nineties . . . . . . . . . . . 57
2. The labour market in the nineties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
3. The post-convertibility macroeconomic regime and performance 74
4. The evolution of employment and unemployment in the recovery phase . . . . . . . . . 105
Bibliography and references . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 5:54 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) at the ILO
Discussion Paper 185/2007

Corporate social responsibility in multinational companies: Management initiatives or negotiated agreements?
by Tony Edwards, Paul; Marginson, Paul; Edwards, Anthony; Ferner, Olga Tregaskis
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/dp18507.pdf
[full-text, 27 pages]

[excerpt]
Using new data from a 2005 telephone survey of 665 senior respondents (Human Resources
(HR) Personnel Directors, Senior Managers or Senior Officers) in foreign-owned, UK-owned
and joint-owned multinational companies operating in the UK, the paper assesses: i) the
incidence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) among the respondents, and ii) whether these
codes have been the outcome of negotiations with international union federations or European
Works Councils ­or else whether the codes were imposed by management, with employee
representatives having little influence.

The authors' findings indicate that most MNCs in the UK are covered by a corporate code
which includes CSR provisions. Most of these codes (80 percent) are international in scope,
covering both UK and non-UK operations. Among them about 20 percent have been negotiated
with an international trade union organisation and/or a European Works Council. USheadquartered
MNCs are the most likely to have a code but are the least likely to have negotiated
it with workers, whereas German and Nordic firms are the most likely to have negotiated a code
but are among the least likely to have a code in the first place. The paper also underlines other
determinants of the existence of a code and its nature, such as i) the visibility of codes vis-à-vis
consumers and other stakeholders; ii) the extent to which they trade on a brand name; and iii) the
extent to which their supply networks encompass operations in developing countries. Finally, the
findings suggest that, when trade unions are relatively weak, there is less pressure to negotiate
codes with workers' representatives and a greater likelihood that they will be developed
unilaterally.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface.........................................................................................................................................................v
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................1
1. Literature review .....................................................................................................................................1
2. Method and data ......................................................................................................................................4
3. Findings...................................................................................................................................................5
The existence and nature of CSR codes....................................................................................................5
Estimation ................................................................................................................................................6
Results .....................................................................................................................................................7
4. Discussion and conclusion .......................................................................................................................8
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................14
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 5:41 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

OECD


A Profile of Immigrant Populations in the 21st Century: Data from OECD Countries [20 February 2008]
http://www.oecd.org/document/27/0,3343,en_2649_37415_40110299_1_1_1_37415,00.html

[Full-text report is available via SourceOECD at most major universities and research libraries]


This publication presents some of the most comprehensive information currently available on the origin and structural characteristics of the immigrant population in OECD countries.

It includes a large set of tables and charts describing demographic characteristics (age, gender, duration of stay) and labour market outcomes (labour market status, occupation, sector of activity) of immigrant and native-born populations by educational level and country of birth.

These are covered in nine thematic chapters, each including a brief description of sources, a discussion of cross-country differences as well as a short analysis of a specific issue, such as the gender dimension of the brain drain, the international migration of health professionals, or the role of low-skilled foreign-born workers in domestic services.

The data are taken from the new OECD Database on Immigrants in OECD Countries (DIOC), which compiles information gathered from the last round of censuses. They are being published here for the first time.

An introductory chapter provides an overview of the data available and presents a picture of international migration to the OECD area from four regions, namely Africa, Asia, Latin America and OECD countries themselves. The chapter also focuses on a number of specific topics, such as the feminisation of migration, the role of high-skilled migration and the intra-OECD mobility of human resources.

This book is essential reading for experts and policy makers. It paves the way for further research and policy analysis of a range of issues around international migration which are of high priority for many OECD countries.

The ExcelTM spreadsheets used to create the tables and charts are available via the < http://www.oecd.org/document/46/0,3343,en_2649_37415_33882798_1_1_1_37415,00.html > StatLinks printed in A Profile of Immigrant Populations in the 21st Century: Data from OECD Countries


Table of contents
   * Introduction
   * Chapter 1. The Foreign and Foreign-born Populations
   * Chapter 2. Age Structure of the Immigrant Population.
   * Chapter 3. Education of the Immigrant Population
   * Chapter 4. Duration of Stay
   * Chapter 5. Labour Market Outcomes of Immigrants
   * Chapter 6. Occupations of Immigrant Workers
   * Chapter 7. Sectors of Activity of Immigrant Workers
   * Chapter 8. Fields of Study of the Immigrant Population
   * Chapter 9. Expatriates
   * Annex A. Methodology


______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 8:20 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

RAND
Occasional Paper

Education and the Asian Surge
A Comparison of the Education Systems in India and China [20 February 2008]
By: Charles A. Goldman, Krishna B. Kumar, Ying Liu
http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP218/
or
http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2008/RAND_OP218.pdf
[full-text, 55 pages]
and
Summary
http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/2008/RAND_OP218.sum.pdf
[full-text, 5 pages]

China and India have faced similar conditions and challenges in education during their rapid industrial and social transformation. The two countries started building their national education systems under comparable conditions in the late 1940s. However, different policies, strategies, and historical circumstances have led them through different routes. China has outperformed India in primary and secondary education along a broad spectrum of access, quality, and delivery indicators. India, on the other hand, enjoys a competitive edge over China in higher education. Recently, India has begun catching up with China in K-12 education, while China has already overtaken India in terms of the college enrollment and number of graduates. The respective successes and challenges of the Chinese and Indian education systems offer valuable lessons for both countries and for the rest of the developing world. The authors identify issues that deserve further attention of researchers and policymakers.

Contents
Preface ........................................................................................................................................... iii
Figures ...........................................................................................................................................vii
Tables ..............................................................................................................................................ix
Summary ........................................................................................................................................xi
Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................................xiii
Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ xv
PART ONE
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1
PART TWO
Historical Development...................................................................................................................3
China................................................................................................................................................4
Early Development (1940s and '50s) ...............................................................................................4
The Great Cultural Revolution (1966­1976)...................................................................................4
Reform and Opening Up (1976 to the Present) ...............................................................................5
Current Structure of Schooling .......................................................................................................6
India .................................................................................................................................................7
The Years After Independence (1948­1964) ....................................................................................7
The Kothari Commission and Beyond (1964­1985) .......................................................................7
The New National Policy on Education (1986) ..............................................................................7
Current Structure of Schooling .......................................................................................................8
PART THREE
Access, Quality, Delivery, and Resources: An Analysis................................................................11
Access ............................................................................................................................................12
Flow and Attainment: Basic Education .........................................................................................12
Flow and Attainment: Higher Education ......................................................................................14
Adult Education...........................................................................................................................16
Disparities in Access......................................................................................................................17
Resources: The Financing of Education............................................................................................21
Funding Versus Provision..............................................................................................................21
Tertiary Education ........................................................................................................................23
Quality ...........................................................................................................................................23
Dropout Rates..............................................................................................................................24
Teacher Quality ............................................................................................................................24
Relevance .....................................................................................................................................25
Delivery ..........................................................................................................................................26
Education Infrastructure...............................................................................................................26
Technology ..................................................................................................................................26
Governance and Implementation ..................................................................................................26
PART FOUR
Conclusions and Future Directions ..............................................................................................29
Important Strengths........................................................................................................................30
Important Challenges ......................................................................................................................31
Important Opportunities .................................................................................................................31
Future Directions............................................................................................................................32
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................35
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 7:36 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

The Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training (ILO/Cinterfor)
Montevideo, Uruguay


Gender, training and work
http://www.cinterfor.org.uy/public/english/region/ampro/cinterfor/temas/gender/index.htm

also in Spanish (En Español ) at
http://www.cinterfor.org.uy/public/spanish/region/ampro/cinterfor/temas/informal/sobre.htm


This site seeks to expose and reflect about the mainstreaming of the gender perspective on training and work. The dissemination of experiences, information, reflection on successful practices and difficulties will be the result of a collective effort to improve female personal and vocational development and job opportunities.

The site also intents to generate synergy, coordination and cooperation at the regional and international level among those -countries and institutions- who are committed to the promotion of equal opportunities in employment and education and to the construction of more integrated and fare societies.

The XXI century starts with serious and urgent problems related to social justice and labour justice that need to avoid isolated solutions. It is therefore necessary to learn from the experiences of others and apply and adapt strategies and programmes that already work in other contexts. This site will make possible the exchange of ideas, opinions and practices.

AND MUCH MORE with links to publications, statistics, and other documentation.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

National Statistics (UK)

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS OF PRODUCTIVITY [19 February 2008]
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/icp0208.pdf
[full-text, 11 pages]

[excerpt]
• The latest International Comparisons of Productivity (ICP) estimates show revisions to current price productivity levels for all G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US). This is due to revisions by Eurostat and OECD to the purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factors, particularly with respect to the US, Canada and Japan, as well as updated labour input data for France.

Includes TABLES & CHARTS.....

[Thanks to Shirl Kennedy at Docuticker.com for the tip].

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:17 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

OECD

Development Co-operation Report 2007 [14 February 2008]
http://www.oecd.org/document/32/0,3343,en_2649_37413_40056608_1_1_1_37413,00.html
[full-text available via SourceOECD at major libraries and universities]

Summary
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/21/10/40108245.pdf
[full-text, 16 pages]

[excerpt]
Faithful to its tradition, the Development Co-operation Report 2007 is characterised by open reporting which has been at the heart of the Development Assistance Committee's work from its inception. The importance of this is all the more evident as we look forward to key international events in 2008. The Report also gives the world's most comprehensive statistics on development co-operation over the past year, and provides some analysis of what the data mean.


Contents

Preface by the OECD Secretary-General

Foreword by the Chairman of the Development Assistance Committee

Chapter 1

The first chapter is a kind of "report-card" on the aid effort, as seen from the DAC Chair's perspective over the past five years. It assesses progress on a number of indicators first set out in the Development Co-operation Report for 2003 to measure how the development community is contributing to the sustainable reduction of poverty.

Chapter 2

This chapter retains twelve of the more prominent examples of the lessons learned or reconfirmed recently concerning effective aid management to achieve development results. Lessons are grouped as follows: at the level of strategy, organisational management, and the management of delivery.

Chapter 3

The third chapter puts DAC's aid effectiveness work into context. It looks at the way aid effectiveness concepts are being implemented in the health sector, and how important issues like human rights, gender or the environment can be addressed within a locally owned approach to development.

Chapter 4
The last chapter provides a short introduction to the aid programmes and performance of each DAC member, and also rightly embraces other OECD countries and significant players outside the OECD for which comparable reporting exists. Five countries were peer reviewed in 2007: Canada, Denmark, the European Community, Finland and Spain.

The DAC at Work

Statistical Annex

Technical Notes
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 7:37 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

ILO
Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)


PANORAMA LABORAL 2007: América Latina y el Caribe [online February 2008]
http://www.oit.org.pe/WDMS/bib/publ/panorama/panorama07.pdf
[full-text, 105 pages]

[excerpt]
Los países de América Latina y el Caribe entran con buen pie al 2008 pero persisten los desafíos en el mundo laboral. La región completó durante 2007 un lustro de fuerte crecimiento económico, impulsado tanto por las favorables condiciones externas de la economía global como por la fortaleza de la demanda interna. En promedio, el PIB regional ha crecido a una tasa en torno al 4.8% en los últimos cinco años, en lo que constituye el período más prolongado y de mayor expansión sostenida desde 1980. Para este año se espera una ligera desaceleración del ritmo de crecimiento, desde el 5.6% de 2006 al 5.5% de 2007. El aumento del producto ha sido generalizado, beneficiando a la mayoría de las economías de Centroamérica, el Caribe y Sudamérica y ha incidido en una reducción de la pobreza y la desigualdad ­que todavía persisten altas­, estrechamente asociado a una mejoría de los principales indicadores del mercado laboral, en especial, a la caída de la tasa de desempleo urbano y, en menor medida, al modesto incremento de los salarios reales.

Índice
PRÓLOGO v
RECONOCIMIENTOS vii
LATINOAMÉRICA Y EL CARIBE ENTRAN AL 2008 CON BUEN
DESEMPEÑO DEL MERCADO LABORAL. ESTO REFLEJA LA
CONTINUACIÓN DEL FUERTE CRECIMIENTO ECONÓMICO,
AÚN CUANDO TODAVÍA FALTA UN MAYOR PROGRESO HACIA
EL TRABAJO DECENTE. 1
El escenario económico internacional en 2007 5
Las perspectivas económicas de la región en 2007 8
El desempeño laboral de América Latina y el Caribe en 2007 10
Proyecciones del producto y desempleo, 2007-2008 32
PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS Y AFRODESCENDIENTES
EN LA REGIÓN: HACIA LA IGUALDAD DE
OPORTUNIDADES Y EL TRABAJO DECENTE 38
ÍNDICE DE RECUADROS
. Composición sectorial del empleo urbano y cobertura
de la protección en salud y pensiones 14
. La importancia política del respeto a la libertad sindical
en las Américas 19
. La responsabilidad social de la empresa 22
. Centroamérica y República Dominicana: el mercado
laboral y los desafíos del empleo juvenil 27
. Evolución reciente de la economía y el mercado laboral
en el Caribe 35
NOTA EXPLICATIVA 55
ANEXO ESTADÍSTICO 59
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 6:00 AM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Migration Policy Institute
Migration Information Source

Spotlight on the Foreign Born of Pakistani Origin in the United States
By Jeanne Batalova and Uriah Ferruccio
February 2008
http://www.migrationinformation.org/USFocus/display.cfm?id=672
or
http://www.migrationinformation.org/USFocus/print.cfm?ID=672

This spotlight focuses on the foreign born of Pakistani origin residing in the United States, examining the population's size, geographic distribution, and socioeconomic characteristics using data from the US Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey and 2000 Decennial Census, and the Office of Immigration Statistics.

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES & CHARTS.....

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 1:51 PM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Ruhr-University Bochum

The European Works Council: A Transnational Organization?
Typology, Negotiation Results and Context Conditions of European Works Councils in Selected Companies in the European Automotive Industry
http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ewc/

Welcome!

About the EWC Project

On 1st of March 2007, a research project on European Works Council: A transnational Organization? funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), started at the < http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/soaps> Chair of Sociology of Organizations and Participation Studies.

The aim of the project is to establish a typology of European Works Councils (EWCs), to find out the structural conditions for their work and to analyse the results of negotiations between European Works Councils and Managements in selected companies in the European automotive industry in five countries (France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom). The duration of the project is two years. More information on the project's research mission is available on the < http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ewc/details.html> Details Page.

The project team consists of Luitpold Rampeltshammer, Markus Hertwig, Jessica Buchholz und Valentina Mählmeyer. More information on the project's team is available on the < http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/ewc/team.html> Team Page.

AND MORE..
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 1:32 PM

IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________

Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Order Code RS22808

February 13, 2008
How Large is China's Economy? Does it Matter?
Wayne M. Morrison and Michael F. Martin, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22808_20080213.pdf
[full-text, 6 pages]

Summary
China's rapid economic growth since 1979 has transformed it into a major
economic power. Over the past few years, many analysts have contended that China
could soon overtake the United States to become the world's largest economy, based on
estimates of China's economy on a "purchasing power parity" (PPP) basis, which
attempts to factor in price differences across countries when estimating the size of a
foreign economy in U.S. dollars. However, in December 2007, the World Bank issued
a study that lowered its previous 2005 PPP estimate of the size of China's economy by
40%. If these new estimates are accurate, it will likely be many years before China's
economy reaches U.S. levels. The new PPP data could also have an impact on U.S. and
international perceptions over other aspects of China's economy, including its living
standards, poverty levels, and government expenditures, such as on the military. This
report will not be updated.

______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.

****************************************
Stuart Basefsky                   
Director, IWS News Bureau                
Institute for Workplace Studies 
Cornell/ILR School                        
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor             
New York, NY 10016                        
                                   
Telephone: (607) 255-2703                
Fax: (607) 255-9641                       
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu                  
****************************************

# posted by SBasefsky : 12:55 PM