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 RS22830

March 12, 2008
Genetic Ancestry Testing
Amanda K. Sarata, Analyst in Health Policy and Genetics, Domestic Social Policy Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22830_20080312.pdf
[full-text, 6 pages]

Summary
Interest in genetic testing to determine ancestry has increased rapidly since its
introduction in 2000. Many individuals are eager to learn more about their ancestors,
and believe genetic testing will be able to provide information where other traditional
genealogical methods have failed. While genetic ancestry testing may in some cases be
able to provide very general information, it also currently has many limitations. The very
complex relationship between race, genetics, and ancestry further complicates this
testing and the interpretation of results. Genetic ancestry testing may, therefore, raise
several policy issues. This report describes genetic ancestry testing, outlines the basic
scientific limitations of the testing currently, and provides an overview of the policy
issues this testing may raise.

______________________________
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 : 10:24 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
________________________________________________________________________

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EWCO)
European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO)

Work­life balance attitudes and practices in British workplaces, 2007 [18 March 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/surveyreports/UK0801019D/UK0801019D.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/surveyreports/UK0801019D/UK0801019D.pdf
[full-text, 11 pages]

# Author: Duncan Adam
# Institution: University of Warwick

The Third Work­Life Balance Employer Survey for 2007 provides an up-to-date picture of work­life balance practices and attitudes in British workplaces with five or more employees. As the third survey in the series, it offers the opportunity of assessing change over time in relation to work­life balance issues and the impact of new legislation in this area. The research covers a wide range of issues including working hours, provision and take-up of flexible working arrangements, awareness of legislative changes, leave provisions, support for working parents and employers' attitudes to work­life balance measures.

CONTENTS
About the survey

Attitudes to work­life balance

Flexible working practices

Awareness of legislative changes

Working hours

Disseminating information on flexible working

Commentary

References
______________________________
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 : 12:04 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
________________________________________________________________________

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)


European Works Councils in practice: Key research findings - Background paper [20 March 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0828.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/28/en/1/ef0828en.pdf
[full-text, 22 pages]

Author: Foundation

Summary: European Works Councils (EWCs) are highly significant in terms of European industrial relations. They represent the first genuinely European institution of worker interest representation at enterprise level. They reflect the growing recognition of the need to respond to the 'Europeanisation' of business emerging from the Single European Market with the Europeanisation of worker representation, by supplementing existing national channels of information and consultation.

Contents
Context
EWCs in practice
EWCs in the New Member States
EWCs and transnational restructuring
EWCs and International Framework Agreements
Conclusion
References

______________________________
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 : 11:58 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
________________________________________________________________________

National Academies Press (NAP)


Research on Future Skill Demands: A Workshop Summary [2008]
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12066

CLICK on URL ABOVE and SCROLL DOWN to READ ONLINE

The goal of the workshop was to explore the available research evidence related to two important guiding questions:

   * What are the strengths and weaknesses of different research methods and data sources for providing insights about current and future changes in skill demands?

   * What support does the available evidence (given the strengths and weaknesses of the methods and data sources) provide for the proposition that the skills required for the 21st century workplace will be meaningfully different from earlier eras and will require corresponding changes in educational preparation


Select a link below to start reading online free!

Front Matter i-xiv
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=R1>
1 Framing the Research on Future Skills 1-5
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=1>
2 Labor Market Trends: A Loss of Middle-Class Jobs? 6-14
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=6>
3 Skill Demands of Knowledge Work 15-28
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=15>
4 Skill Demands of Service Work 29-43
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=29>
5 Promising New Data and Research Methods 44-62
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=44>
6 Skill Supply and Demand 63-74
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=63>
7 Implications for Education and Training 75-83
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=75>
8 Final Reflections 84-91
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=84>
References 92-100
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=92>
Appendix A: Workshop Agenda 101-107
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=101>
Appendix B: Professional and Service Occupational Clusters 108-108
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=108>
Appendix C: Biographical Sketches of Planning Committee Members and Staff 109-112
< http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12066&page=109>


______________________________
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 : 11:10 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
________________________________________________________________________


FOREIGN-BORN WORKERS: LABOR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS IN 2007 [26 March 2008]
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/forbrn.nr0.htm
or
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/forbrn.pdf
[full-text, 14 pages]

Foreign-born workers' share of the U.S. labor force continued to grow, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  In
2007, 24.0 million persons, or 15.7 percent of the U.S. civilian labor force
age 16 and over, were foreign born.  Their share of the labor force was up from
15.3 percent in 2006.  The unemployment rate for the foreign born increased by
0.3 percentage point over the year to 4.3 percent in 2007.  From 2003 to 2006,
it had declined by 2.6 percentage points.  The jobless rate of the native born,
at 4.7 percent in 2007, was unchanged from the prior year.

   This news release compares the labor force characteristics of the foreign
born with those of their native-born counterparts.  The data on nativity are
collected as part of the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample
survey of approximately 60,000 households.  The foreign born are persons who
reside in the United States but who were born outside the country or one of its
outlying areas to parents who were not U.S. citizens.  The foreign born include
legally-admitted immigrants, refugees, temporary residents such as students and
temporary workers, and undocumented immigrants.  The survey data, however, do not
separately identify the numbers of persons in these categories.  For further in-
formation about the survey, see the Technical Note.

AND MUCH MORE...including TABLES....

______________________________
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 : 7:06 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
________________________________________________________________________

Social Security Administration (SSA)

Social Security Programs Throughout the World: The Americas, 2007
(released March 2008)
http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/americas/index.html
or
http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2006-2007/americas/ssptw07americas.pdf
[full-text, 196 pages]

[excerpt]
This fourth issue in the current four-volume series of Social Security Programs Throughout the World reports on the countries of the Americas. The combined findings of this series, which also includes volumes on Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and Africa, are published at 6-month intervals over a 2-year period. Each volume highlights features of social security programs in the particular region.

The information contained in these volumes is crucial to our efforts, and those of researchers in other countries, to review different ways of approaching social security challenges that will enable us to adapt our social security systems to the evolving needs of individuals, households, and families. These efforts are particularly important as each nation faces major demographic changes, especially the increasing number of aged persons, as well as economic and fiscal issues.

Social Security Programs Throughout the World is the product of a cooperative effort between the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA). Founded in 1927, the ISSA is a nonprofit organization bringing together institutions and administrative bodies from countries throughout the world. The ISSA deals with all forms of compulsory social protection that by legislation or national practice are an integral part of a country's social security system.

Previous editions of this report, which date back to 1937, were issued as one volume and were prepared by SSA staff. With the introduction of the four-volume format in 2002, however, the research and writing has been contracted out to the ISSA.

______________________________
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 : 1:55 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
________________________________________________________________________

EuroStat
Statistics in Focus
Issu 30/08

Foreign-controlled enterprises in the EU [26 March 2008]
http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-SF-08-030/EN/KS-SF-08-030-EN.PDF
[full-text, 8 pages]

Foreign-controlled enterprises accounted for 18 % of the value added in the 17 Member States for which data are available. They were most important within the manufacturing sector, where they provided more than one quarter (28%) of sectoral value added. More than 60 % of their value added could be attributed to enterprises in other Member States (principally Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands or France), while enterprises from the US accounted for 23 %.

And Much More...including CHARTS & TABLES....

______________________________
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 : 5:35 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 RL33877

China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy, Updated March 17, 2008
Kerry Dumbaugh, Specialist in Asian Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33877_20080317.pdf
[full-text, 55 pages]

Summary
U.S.-China relations were remarkably smooth for much of the George W. Bush
Administration, although there are signs that U.S. China policy now is subject to
competing reassessments. State Department officials in 2005 unveiled what they said
was a new framework for the relationship — with the United States willing to work
cooperatively with China while encouraging Beijing to become a "responsible
stakeholder" in the global system. U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson in
December 2006 established a U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue with Beijing,
the most senior regular dialogue yet held with China. But other U.S. policymakers
have adopted tougher stances on issues involving China and U.S.-China relations.
They are concerned about the impact of the PRC's strong economic growth and a
more assertive PRC diplomacy in the international arena; about procedures to assure
the quality of Chinese pharmaceuticals, food, and other products being imported into
the United States; and about trade practices and policies in China that contribute to
a strong U.S.-China trade imbalance in the latter's favor.

Taiwan, which China considers a "renegade province," remains the most
sensitive issue the two countries face and the one many observers fear could lead to
Sino-U.S. conflict. But U.S. relations with Taiwan have also been plagued by what
some U.S. officials see as that government's minimal defense spending and the
recurrent independence-leaning actions and rhetoric of its President and other
government officials, which U.S. officials have called "unhelpful" to regional
stability. On March 11, 2008, the anniversary of a large-scale anti-Chinese uprising
in 1959, the political status of Tibet re-emerged as an issue when monks in Lhasa
launched a protest against PRC rule. The protests, at times apparently resulting in
violent clashes with police, judging from news reports, have spread to several other
cities in Tibet and beyond. Beijing's response has led some Tibetan activists to add
their voices to other calls urging a boycott of the Summer Olympics in Beijing in
August 2008.

Other concerns about China appear driven by security calculations in Congress
and at the Pentagon, where officials question the motivations behind China's
expanding military budget. One congressionally mandated DOD report concluded
Beijing is greatly understating its military expenditures and is developing antisatellite
(ASAT) systems — a claim that gained more credence when the PRC used
a ballistic missile to destroy one of its own orbiting satellites in January 2007.
Bilateral economic and trade issues also are growing matters of concern. U.S.
officials and lawmakers particularly criticize China's massive bilateral trade surplus,
its failure to halt piracy of U.S. intellectual property rights (IPR), and its continued
constraints on currency valuation.

This report will be updated regularly as events warrant and will track legislative
initiatives involving China. For actions and issues in U.S.-China relations considered
during the 109th Congress, see CRS Report RL32804, China-U.S. Relations in the
109th Congress, by Kerry Dumbaugh.

Contents
Most Recent Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Background and Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Current Issues and Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Demonstrations in Tibet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Concerns about Product Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Military and National Security Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
China's Growing Military Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
PRC Anti-Satellite Test and Space Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Denials of U.S. Port Calls in Hong Kong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Military Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Economic and Trade Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Currency Valuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Unfair Trade Subsidies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Intellectual Property Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
North Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Six Party Talks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
October 2006 Nuclear Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
U.S.-PRC Official Dialogues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Senior Dialogue and Strategic Economic Dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Taiwan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Referendum on U.N. Membership for Taiwan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
U.S. Taiwan Policy and U.S. Arms Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Official Taiwan-PRC Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
China's Growing Global Reach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Asia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
European Union . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Middle East and Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Western Hemisphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Environmental Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Domestic Political Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Social Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
17th Party Congress, October 15 - 21, 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tibet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Xinjiang's Ethnic Muslims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Internet and Media Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Human Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Religious Freedom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Family Planning Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Hong Kong Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
U.S. Policy Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Public Laws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 — P.L. 110-140 . . . . 37
Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related
Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 — P.L. 110-161 . . . . . . . . . 37
National Defense Authorization Act for FY2008 — P.L. 110-181 . . . 37
Other Pending Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Chronology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Appendix A. Selected Visits by U.S. and PRC Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Appendix B. Selected U.S. Government Reporting Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 50
______________________________
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 : 5:31 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 RL33536

China-U.S. Trade Issues, Updated March 7, 2008
Wayne M. Morrison, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33536_20080307.pdf
[full-text, 34 pages]

Summary
U.S.-China economic ties have expanded substantially over the past several
years. Total U.S.-China trade, which totaled only $5 billion in 1980, rose to $387
billion in 2007. China overtook Japan to become the third largest U.S. export
market, and overtook Canada to become the largest source of U.S. imports.

With a huge population and a rapidly expanding economy, China is a potentially
huge market for U.S. exporters. However, U.S.-China economic relations have
become strained over a number of issues, including large and growing U.S. trade
deficits with China (which hit $256 billion in 2007), China's failure to fully
implement its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments (especially in regards
to protection of intellectual property rights), its refusal to adopt a floating currency
system, its use of industrial policies and other practices deemed unfair and/or harmful
to various U.S. economic sectors, and failure to ensure that its exports to the United
States meet U.S. health and safety standards.

The Bush Administration has come under increasing pressure from Congress to
take a more aggressive stance against various Chinese economic and trade practices.
In response, it filed a number of trade dispute resolution cases against China in the
WTO, including China's failure to protect IPR and afford market access for IPRrelated
products, discriminatory regulations on imported auto parts, and import and
export subsidies to various industries in China. In addition, the Administration
reversed a long-standing policy that countervailing cases (dealing with government
subsidies) could not be brought against non-market economies (such as China). In
December 2006, the Administration began a "Strategic Economic Dialogue" (SED)
with China to discuss major long-term economic issues between the two countries;
the latest SED talks were held in December 2007. In response to growing concerns
in the United States over the health, safety, and quality of certain Chinese products,
the Administration in 2007 concluded agreements with China on toys, food and feed,
drugs and medical devices, and tires.

Numerous bills have been introduced in Congress that would impact U.S.-China
economic relations. H.R. 321, H.R. 782, H.R. 1002, H.R. 2942, S. 364, S. 796, S.
1607, and S. 1677 seek to address China's currency policy. H.R. 388 would prohibit
U.S. imports of Chinese autos as long as Chinese tariffs on autos are higher than U.S.
tariffs. H.R. 708, H.R. 1229, and S. 974 would apply U.S. countervailing laws to
China. H.R. 1958 and S. 571 would terminate China's permanent normal trade
relations status. H.R. 275 would prohibit U.S. companies from aiding regimes that
restrict Internet access. S. 1919 would limit the president's discretion on Section 421
investigations on import surges from China. H.R. 3273 would expand U.S. export
promotion programs to boost exports to China. Finally, numerous bills have been
introduced to address concerns over unsafe imports (including from China).

This report examines major U.S.-China trade issues and will be updated as
events warrant.

Contents
U.S. Trade with China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Major U.S. Exports to China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Major U.S. Imports from China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Major U.S.-China Trade Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Health and Safety Concerns Over Certain Imports from China . . . . . . . . . . . 8
China's Poor Regulatory System and Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
China's Currency Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Bush Administration's Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
China Changes its Currency Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
China and the World Trade Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
WTO Implementation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
U.S. WTO Cases Against China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Violations of U.S. Intellectual Property Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
History of U.S. Efforts to Improve China's IPR Regime . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The Scope of the IPR Piracy Problem in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The U.S. Files Two WTO Cases Against China on IPR . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Applying U.S. Countervailing Laws to China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Textile and Apparel Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
U.S.-China Trade Legislation in the 110th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Currency Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Other Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

List of Tables
Table 1. U.S. Merchandise Trade with China: 1980-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table 2. U.S. Merchandise Trade Balances with Major Trading Partners:2007 . . . .. . . . . . . . . 3
Table 3. Major U.S. Exports to China: 2003-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 4. U.S. Merchandise Exports to Major Trading Partners in 2001 and 2007 . .. . . . . . . . . 4
Table 5. Top Five U.S. Imports from China: 2003-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 6. Major Foreign Suppliers of U.S. Computer Equipment Imports: 2000-2007 . .  . . . . . . . . . . . 7

______________________________
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 : 5:26 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 RL33534

China's Economic Conditions, Updated March 11, 2008
Wayne M. Morrison, Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL33534_20080311.pdf
[full-text, 31 pages]

Summary
Since the initiation of economic reforms in 1979, China has become one of the
world's fastest-growing economies. From 1979 to 2007 China's real gross domestic
product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of 9.8%. Real GDP grew 11.4% in
2007 (the fastest annual growth since 1994). While China is expected to continue to
enjoy rapid economic growth in the years ahead and could become the world's largest
economy within a decade or so, it faces a number of challenges, including
widespread corruption, an inefficient banking system, over-dependence on exports
and fixed investment for growth, pollution, widening income disparities, and growing
inflationary pressures. The Chinese government has indicated that it intends, over
the coming years, to create a "harmonious society" that would promote more
balanced economic growth and address a number of economic and social issues.

Trade and foreign investment continues to play a major role in China's booming
economy. From 2004 to 2007, the value of total Chinese merchandise trade nearly
doubled. In 2007, China's exports (at $1,218 billion) exceeded U.S. exports (1,162
billion) for the first time. China's imports were $956 billion and its trade surplus was
$262 billion (a historic high). Well over half of China's trade is conducted by
foreign firms operating in China. The combination of large trade surpluses, foreign
direct investment flows, and large-scale purchases of foreign currency have helped
make China the world's largest holder of foreign exchange reserves at $1.5 trillion
at the end 2007.

China's economy continues to be a concern to many U.S. policymakers. On the
one hand, U.S. consumers, exporters, and investors have greatly benefitted from
China's rapid economic and trade growth. On the other hand, the surge in Chinese
exports to the United States has put competitive pressures on various U.S. industries.
Many U.S. policymakers have argued that China often does not play by the rules
when it comes to trade and they have called for greater efforts to pressure China to
fully implement its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments and to change
various economic policies deemed harmful to U.S. economic interests, such as its
currency policy, its use of subsidies to support state-owned firms, trade and
investment barriers to U.S. goods and services, and failure to ensure the safety of its
exports to the United States. Concerns have also been raised over China's rising
demand for energy and raw materials, its impact on world prices for such
commodities, increased pollution levels, and efforts China has made to invest in
energy and raw materials around the world, including countries (such as Iran, North
Korea, and Sudan) where the United States has political and human rights concerns.

This report provides an overview of China's economic development, challenges
China faces to maintain growth, and the implications of China's rise as a major
economic power for the United States. This report will be updated as events warrant.

Contents
Most Recent Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
An Overview of China's Economic Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
China's Economy Prior to Reforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Introduction of Economic Reforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
China's Economic Growth Since Reforms: 1979-Present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Causes of China's Economic Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
China's Industrial Sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Measuring the Size of China's Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Foreign Direct Investment in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
China's Trade Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
China's Major Trading Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Major Chinese Trade Commodities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
China's Growing Economic Ties with Africa, North Korea, and Iran . . . . . . . . 15
China-Africa Trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
China's Imports From Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
China's Mineral Fuel Imports From Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
China's Exports to Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
China's Trade with North Korea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
China's Trade With Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
China's Growing Overseas Direct Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Major Long-Term Challenges Facing the Chinese Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Outlook for China's Economy and Implications for the United States . . . . . . . . 25

List of Tables
Table 1. China's Average Annual Real GDP Growth: 1960-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Table 2. Major Chinese Industries Based on Value-Added Output: 1995 and 2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 3. Comparisons of U.S., Japanese, and Chinese GDP and Per Capita GDP in Nominal U.S. Dollars and PPP, 2007 . . . 7
Table 4. Major Foreign Investors in China: 1979-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 5. Foreign Direct Investment by Sectors in 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 6. China's Merchandise World Trade, 1979-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 7. China's Major Trading Partners: 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table 8. Top 10 Chinese Exports: 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Table 9. Top 10 Chinese Imports: 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Table 10. Top Five African Sources of Chinese Imports: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . 16
Table 11. Top Five Chinese Imports from Africa: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Table 12. Top Five African Suppliers of Mineral Fuel to China: 2007 . . . . . . . 17
Table 13. China's Top Five African Export Markets: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Table 14. Top Five Chinese Exports to Africa: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Table 15. Major Chinese Exports to North Korea: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Table 16. Major Chinese Imports from North Korea: 2004-2007 . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Table 17. Top 10 Destinations for China's Overseas Direct Investment: 2005 . 22
______________________________
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 : 5:20 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
________________________________________________________________________

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)


ANNUAL CORE INDICATORS (Asia & the Pacific) [19 March 2008]
http://www.unescap.org/stat/data/index.asp

Actual Data at
http://www.unescap.org/stat/data/main/goalindicatorarea.aspx


The online database contains time series data for selected indicators covering a wide range of issues in relation to the Secretariat's work: demography, migration, education, health, poverty, gender, employment, economy, government finance, employment, transport, and environment.

Among other indicators, this database contains data published in the < http://www.unescap.org/stat/data/syb2007/index.asp> Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific 2007. The time series are generally longer and more complete in the database. Because of different presentation requirements, the indicator names in the database and the Yearbook may be slightly different


______________________________
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 : 10:30 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 Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Union View #8

Union View: GUATEMALA [ March 2008]
http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/VS_Guatemala_EN.pdf
[full-text, 12 pages]

[excerpt]
Grinding poverty and the explosion of the informal economy, harsh working
conditions in the maquilas, sexual and racial discrimination... more than ten
years after the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords, life for workers in this
Central American country is still very difficult, as impunity, corruption and the
assassination of trade unionists become dangerously commonplace.

______________________________
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 : 9:20 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
________________________________________________________________________

Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB)

MONITORING INTERNATIONAL LABOR STANDARDS (MILS) DATABASE
Search Page
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/Webmils/countries/index.htm

Explanation & Home Page
WebMILS
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/webmils/

WebMILS is an electronic database containing information relating to national compliance with international labor standards. Users may find the following types of information:

   * General information on International Labor Standards;
   * Guidance on assessing national-level compliance; and
   * Links to a wide range of information sources, which may prove useful in conducting specific country assessments.

To access general information on International Labor Standards or to read the guidance of the National Academies' Committee on Monitoring International Labor Standards (CMILS) on Assessing Compliance, users should follow those links in the navigation bar on the right-hand side of the screen. These pages-organized by labor standard-offer descriptions of indicators that CMILS has recommended for users to consider in order to exercise "due diligence" in conducting assessments of national-level compliance with internationally recognized labor standards.

Accessing Information Sources in WebMILS: Conducting Searches

Searches can be conducted from the WebMILS home page by clicking "Search webMILS" or through the "Sources" link in the blue navigation bar. The search is commenced by selecting a country and standard or topic from the dropdown menus. In addition to core labor standards and "acceptable conditions of work," users can choose to search for human capital or general country information.

WebMILS provides information on the < http://www.dol.gov/ilab/webmils//ilab/webmils/ils/ils_main.htm> international labor standards included in the 1998 ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, with the addition of 'acceptable conditions of work.' These are:

   * Freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
   * The elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labor;
   * The effective abolition of child labor;
   * The elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation; and
   * Acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health.

______________________________
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 : 8:52 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
________________________________________________________________________

A joint study of the International Labour Office
and the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization

TRADE AND EMPLOYMENT: CHALLENGES FOR POLICY RESEARCH [2007]
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---webdev/documents/publication/wcms_081742.pdf
[full-text, 115 pages]

[excerpt]
This study is the outcome of collaborative research between the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Labour Office (ILO). It addresses an issue that is of concern to both organizations: the relationship between trade and employment.

On the basis of an overview of the existing academic literature, the study provides an impartial view of what can be said, and with what degree of confidence, on the relationship between trade and employment, an often contentious issue of public debate. Its focus is on the connections between trade policies, and labour and social policies and it will be useful for all those who are interested in this debate: academics and policy-makers, workers and employers, trade and labour specialists.

CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
A. Introduction 13
B. Trade flows and employment : the curent context 14
C. Trade and employment : theory and evidence 19
1. Trade and income levels 20
2. Trade, job destruction, job creation and unemployment: what theory tells us 24
3. The evidence: trade and (un)employment 30
D. Trade and ine quality 38
1. Trade and inequality: what theory tells us 40
(a) Trade and the relative demand for different types of labour 40
(b) Trade, FDI and the possibility to substitute domestic workers by foreign workers 42
2. The evidence: trade and wage inequality 45
3. The evidence: trade and income inequality 50
4. The evidence: trade, FDI and the possibility to substitute domestic workers by foreign workers 52
(a) Does globalization affect labour demand elasticities? 52
(b) Globalization, insecurity and the bargaining power of workers 54
E. The role of policy -makers 55
1. Labour market institutions 56
(a) Insuring workers against adverse professional events 57
(b) Facilitating transition following trade reform 60
(i) Social protection and the potential role of the international community 61
(ii) Active labour market policies 63
(c) Freedom of association and collective bargaining 65
(d) Trade reform and the informal economy in developing countries 69
2. Redistribution policies 73
3. Education policies 76
4. Other policy areas 80
(a) Supply response in developing countries 80
(b) The role of financial markets for efficiency and stability 83
(c) The pace of trade liberalization 84
F. Conclusions 85
REFERENCES 91
______________________________
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 : 6:04 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
________________________________________________________________________

Global Labor Institute (ILR School, Cornell University) & Worldwatch Institute

UNEP, ILO, ITUC -- GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE

GREEN JOBS: TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE WORK IN A LOW CARBON WORLD — PRELIMINARY REPORT — December 21, 2007
http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/PDFs/Green-Jobs-Preliminary-Report-18-01-08.pdf
[full-text, 209 pages]

[Final Report will be released in April 2008]


see--
The UNEP- ILO- ITUC Green Jobs Initiative
http://www.unep.org/labour_environment/features/greenjobs.asp


Press Releases
What, really, are "green" jobs? What will they do to the world economy?
March 19 2008
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/news/031908_GreenJobs.html


Silver Lining to Climate Change - Green Jobs  [6 December 2008]
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=523&ArticleID=5717&l=en
or
http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.Print.asp?DocumentID=523&ArticleID=5717&l=en

______________________________
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 : 6:07 AM