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
________________________________________________________________________

UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Towards Information Literacy Indicators [29 April 2008]
Conceptual framework paper prepared by
Ralph Catts and Jesus Lau
With a list of potential international indicators for information supply, access and supporting skills
http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/cscl/InfoLit.pdf
[full-text, 46 pages]

Press Release 29 April 2008
A comprehensive perspective on what information literacy means and how to measure its impact on society.
http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=7189_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC

Governments and international organizations are looking for ways to measure the information society. Despite the good intentions, there is a tendency to focus almost exclusively on the technology involved. Yet, the real interest lies in monitoring the impact of these technologies ­ not simply access to them.

In response, the UNESCO Information for All Programme (IFAP) and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) are working closely to develop a comprehensive framework to measure the impact of knowledge societies from the perspective of people and priorities of governments.

The proposed framework is presented in a new booklet, entitled Towards Information Literacy Indicators. It begins by defining information literacy before exploring its implications, specifically from a measurement perspective.

Information literacy refers to an integrated set of skills which adults need to be effective in all aspects of their lives. It entails people's capacities to:

• recognise their information needs;
• locate and evaluate the quality of information;
• store and retrieve information;
• make effective and ethical use of information, and
• apply information to create and communicate knowledge.

The UIS is actively involved in developing new indicators to measure these skills. The new framework draws upon this work and focuses specifically on the innovative methodology of the UIS Literacy Assessment and Monitoring Programme (LAMP), which is currently being pilot-tested in several countries. It also incorporates elements from the UIS press and broadcast surveys, which explore the availability of public information on health and education issues.

The UIS has also developed a core set of indicators that are the subject of discussion by diverse international and regional organizations. The aim is to develop internationally comparable statistics which accurately reflect the impact of technology and information on people's lives. To what extent, for example, do they have access to information which they can use to improve their educational, financial and health situations?


Table of content
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Information Literacy ­ A Defi nition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
The Elements of Information Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Information Literacy Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Economics and Information Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
The Information / Knowledge Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Information Literacy Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Information Literacy and Adult Competencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Information Literacy Indicators in Higher Education . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Information Literacy and Oral Traditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Ethics and Information Literacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Information Literacy and Equality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Options for Developing IL Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Existing Sources of Information Literacy Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Content Validity of Indicators of IL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Criteria for IL for Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Concerns with benchmarking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Deciding Levels of IL Competence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Appendix 1 - Information Literacy Indicators
located within the LAMP Household Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Appendix 2 - Examples of Information Literacy Indicators
in the PISA School Assessment and DHS Household survey . . .32
Appendix 3 - International indicators for information literacy . . . .33
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

______________________________
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 : 5:08 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 Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)

Commission launches new consultation on revision of EWC Directive [30 April 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2008/03/articles/eu0803039i.htm

Abstract:
In February 2008, the European Commission invited social partners to consult on the revision of the 1994 Council Directive on European Works Councils (EWCs) ­ one of its legislative priorities for 2008. With this long-awaited step, the process of revising the EWCs Directive enters a new and decisive phase. The European Trade Union Confederation and other European trade unions welcomed the second-phase consultation, while BusinessEurope has opposed this step.

______________________________
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 : 10:20 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
________________________________________________________________________

Interim Report (Green Paper) of the Experts  Committee  on the Modernisation of Greek labour law and the policy mix of flexibility and security in the Greek labour market. [April 2008]
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2563854/-
[full-text, 274 pages]

NOTE: This report is only available in GREEK at the moment.

[Thanks to Christos A. Ioannou 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 : 6:30 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
________________________________________________________________________

European Commission >> Eurobarometer
Survey conducted by The Gallup Organization Hungary upon the request of Directorate- General Justice, Freedom and Security

Flash Eurobarometer Series
#226
Data Protection in the European Union: Data Controllers' Perceptions [February 2008]
http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_226_en.pdf
[full-text, 129 pages]

[excerpts]
Main findings
Perceptions about the current data protection legislation
• A majority of people responsible for data protection issues within companies (56%) said they
were somewhat familiar with the provisions of the data protection law. However, only 13%
claimed to be very familiar with this law.
• An equally large proportion of respondents (56%) considered the protection level offered to
citizens by their respective national data protection laws as 'medium'. Twenty-eight percent
said the protection level was 'high' and only 11% indicated that it was 'low'.
• Results by country showed important disparities between Member States, and the percentage of
respondents saying that the level of protection offered to citizens by national data protection
laws was 'high' ranged from 8% (Portugal) to 56% (Slovenia).
• Half of the respondents in the EU believed that legislation could not cope with the increasing
amount of personal information being exchanged. Only 5% of respondents thought that the
existing legislation concerning data protection was very well suited.
• Only in six Member States did a majority of interviewees indicate that the existing legislation on
data protection was very well, or rather well, suited to cope with the increasing volumes of
personal information being exchanged.
• Individuals responsible for data protection issues generally made a positive evaluation of the
requirements of the data protection laws: 91% rather agreed that the requirements of the data
protection law were necessary in order to guarantee a high level of protection for consumers and
the fundamental rights of citizens, only 35% thought that the requirements of the data protection
law were too strict and 28% believed that the requirements of the data protection law were
unnecessary except for certain sectors of activity.
• Concerning the implementation and interpretation of the national data protection laws across
the EU, opinions were divided: 38% agreed there was sufficient harmonisation of data
protection laws ­ across Member States ­ to allow personal data to be freely exchanged within
the EU, compared to 33% who did not agree; a third (33%) thought that the data protection law
was interpreted and applied more rigorously in their country than in other Member States, while
a quarter (25%) said the opposite.
• A significant group of respondents were not able to judge if Member States' data protection
laws were adequately harmonised (29%) or found it extremely difficult to assess whether their
national data protection laws had been introduced more rigorously than in other Member States
(42%).

In-house practices relating to data protection and personal data transfer
The usage of privacy enhancing technologies (PETs)
• More or less half of the data controllers interviewed throughout the EU (52%) stated that they
used Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) in their company. Fourteen percent said that PETs
were not used because they had never heard of them.
• The individual country results again showed significant variation; while three-quarters of
Swedish companies used PETs (74%), only slightly more than a quarter of Czech companies did
so (28%).

Transfer of personal data via the Internet
• Two-thirds of respondents throughout the EU (65%) indicated that their company transferred
personal data via the Internet. The proportion of companies that made such transfers ranged
from 13% in Germany to 59% in Slovakia.
The Gallup Organization Flash Eurobarometer No 226 ­ Data protection perceptions among data controllers
• One in three respondents (32%) admitted that their company did not take any security measures
when transferring personal data over the Internet.

Transfer of personal data to countries outside of the EU
• Only a minority of respondents indicated that their company transferred personal data to
countries outside of the EU (10%).
• Among companies that transferred personal data to non-EU countries, almost half of
respondents (46%) indicated that this data mostly concerned clients' or consumers' data for
commercial purposes, and 27% said it was human resources data for HR purposes.
• Emails were by far the most preferred channel for the transfer of personal data to countries
outside of the EU; 78% of respondents said that in their company, personal data was transferred
via email.
• Only one in three respondents, who had indicated that their company transferred data to non-EU
countries, were familiar with the expression ­ "standard contractual clauses" (34%).

Recent experiences with privacy policy and data protection
Companies' experiences with access requests and complaints
• Almost half of the interviewees (46%) indicated that their company had received requests for
access to personal data last year, but only a minority of them said that their company had
received more than 50 such requests.
• The results by country showed that, among the companies that had received access requests last
year, in most Member States the majority had received less than 10. The exceptions were Italy
and Austria.
• Only 3% of respondents answered that their company had received complaints from individuals
whose data was currently being processed.

Privacy policy notices
• Four out of 10 respondents in the EU (41%) answered that their company maintained and
updated a privacy police notice and 17% of interviewees said that their company monitored how
frequently their privacy policy notice was examined by the public.
• Almost all respondents in Italy claimed that their company maintained and updated a privacy
policy notice (96%), while only 10% of Austrian companies said the same.
• Italian companies were also the most likely to say that public examination of such notices was
monitored (65%), while in Hungary (2%) and the Czech Republic (3%) almost no one said their
company did this.
Contacts with the national data protection authority
• At the EU27 level, 13% of interviewees said they were in regular contact with the national data
protection authority in their country.
• Regular contact with the national authority was most likely in Italy (41% of companies), but it
practically never occurred in Austria (only 1% of respondents were in regular contact with the
authority), Hungary (2%) and Sweden (3%).
• The largest groups of respondents said they were either looking for advice when contacting their
national data protection authority (60%) or that they had made contact in regard to notifications
(56%).
AND MORE.....


Table of Contents
Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 4
Main findings ........................................................................................................................................ 6
1. Perceptions about national data protection legislation .................................................................. 9
1.1 Familiarity with the provisions of national data protection laws .................................................. 9
1.2 Data controllers' assessments of the data protection legislation ................................................. 10
1.2.2 Level of protection offered by the national data protection laws ......................................... 10
1.2.2 The current legislation and the amount of personal information being exchanged ............. 12
1.3 Attitudes towards the requirements of the data protection law ................................................... 15
1.4 Views on the implementation and interpretation of the legislation ............................................. 20
2. In-house practices relating to data protection and personal data transfer ................................ 24
2.1 The usage of privacy enhancing technologies (PETs) ................................................................. 24
2.2 Transfer of personal data via Internet and related security measures .......................................... 26
2.3 Transfer of personal data outside the EU .................................................................................... 28
2.3.1 Transfer of personal data outside the EU ............................................................................ 28
2.3.2 Type of data transferred ....................................................................................................... 30
2.3.3 Way to transfer data outside the EU .................................................................................... 31
2.3.4 Awareness of the expression "standard contractual clauses" ............................................. 32
3. Recent experiences with privacy policy and data protection ...................................................... 34
3.1 Companies' experiences with access requests and complaints ................................................... 34
3.1.1 Requests to access personal data ......................................................................................... 34
3.1.2 Reception of complaints from data subjects ......................................................................... 36
3.2 Privacy policy notices ................................................................................................................. 36
3.3 Contacts with the national data protection authority ................................................................... 39
4. The Future of the legal framework on data protection ................................................................ 41
5. Data protection in the light of international terrorism ................................................................ 47
I. Annex Tables ................................................................................................................................... 54
II. Survey Details ............................................................................................................................... 119
III. Questionnaire .............................................................................................................................. 123

______________________________
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 : 1:38 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
________________________________________________________________________

European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
European Monitoring Centre on Change (EMCC)

European Restructuring Monitor
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emcc/erm/index.htm

Latest restructuring cases [29 April 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/emcc/erm/index.php?template=searchfactsheets

   * Access the detail of the fact sheet by selecting the name of a company.
   * Sort the restructuring cases by selecting a column.

______________________________
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
________________________________________________________________________

Mercer & International Finance Corporation (IFC)

See--
RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT
http://www.mercer.com/ri


Press Release
Mercer and IFC to deliver first 'sustainability rating' for emerging market investments
http://www.mercer.com/pressrelease/details.jhtml/dynamic/idContent/1305005

UK
London, 28 April 2008

For the first time fund managers in emerging markets will be rated based on their capacity to incorporate environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) into their investment decisions as part of a major new research initiative commissioned by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector branch of the World Bank Group.

To determine the ratings, Mercer, who have been appointed by the IFC to conduct the study, has commenced interviews with 50 managers based in the emerging markets of China, India, South Korea and Brazil. The research will also include a survey of over 200 managers globally, who invest in emerging markets.

Tim Gardener, global business leader of Mercer's investment consulting business said the cutting-edge research would bring a greater depth of understanding of how sustainable growth in these four countries will be.

"As demand for investment in emerging markets has grown, so too has the need for a better understanding of the environmental, social and governance forces at play in these markets and their impact on performance," he said.

The results of the interviews with managers on the ground in China, India, South Korea and Brazil will provide investors with an insight into how emerging markets are operating and the initiatives they demonstrate in regards to ESG.

Helga Birgden, Mercer's responsible investment leader, Asia Pacific, said, "The in-depth nature of this research will really bring colour to the picture of what is happening in these markets and uncover the capacity for sustainable investment.

"We believe there are probably many managers and companies already engaging in sustainable practices, but not promoting themselves as such. A key aim of the study is to ensure these practices and managers are duly recognized," said Helga.

Berit Lindholdt Lauridsen of IFC said, "Through this research, IFC wants to raise asset owners' and fund managers' awareness and understanding of sustainable investing, and aims to highlight current investors' demand for sustainable investing products.

"A joint IFC and the Economist Intelligence Unit survey shows that about 80 percent of asset owners who currently do not integrate ESG policies in their emerging market investments expect to do so over the next three years. The survey also indicates that it is difficult to find fund managers with the required capacity," said Berit.

The sustainable investing program of IFC has been working, for the past four years, on increasing the sustainability of investments in emerging markets. Through the program, IFC delivers technical and financial support to projects that help investors capture the potential for superior long-term returns in emerging markets using a sustainability approach.

Mercer has assembled a team of over 20 investment consultants and researchers, and will leverage its Global Investment Manager Database (Mercer GIMD™) in each of the emerging markets to conduct the research. The findings will be made publicly available late 2008.


About IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing private capital in local and international financial markets, and providing advisory and risk mitigation services to businesses and governments. IFC's vision is that poor people have the opportunity to escape poverty and improve their lives. In FY07, IFC committed $8.2 billion and mobilized an additional $3.9 billion through loan participations and structured finance for 299 investments in 69 developing countries. IFC also provided advisory services in 97 countries.

For more information, visit www.ifc.org.


About Mercer

In 2004, Mercer's investment consulting business formed a specialist global Responsible Investment (RI) business unit dedicated to developing intellectual capital in this field. In this unit, Mercer works with investment fiduciaries around the world to implement RI programs and offers a range of services ­ from policy development to manager selection and monitoring. The eleven person team has staff in New York, Toronto, London, Tokyo and Melbourne.


For more information, visit www.mercer.com/ri .
______________________________
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 : 9:10 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
________________________________________________________________________

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

The International Gateway for Financial Education (IGFE) [29 April 2008]
www.financial-education.org
or
http://www.financial-education.org/pages/0,2987,en_39665975_39666038_1_1_1_1_1,00.html


See United States Example
http://www.financial-education.org/document/8/0,3343,en_39665975_39667053_40247496_1_1_1_1,00.html

Other Countries at
http://www.financial-education.org/pages/0,3417,en_39665975_39667053_1_1_1_1_1,00.html


The International Gateway for Financial Education (IGFE) is established by the < http://www.oecd.org> Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as part of its overall comprehensive project on financial education.

The main objectives of the gateway are to:
   * Launch and develop the first global clearinghouse on financial education which gathers an extensive and comprehensive range of information, data, resources, research and news on financial education issues and programmes around the globe
   * Raise awareness on, and visibility of, financial education issues worldwide and ensure the wide dissemination of research, best practices and guidelines on financial education
   * Promote the access to and exchange of information, knowledge, experience and expertise on financial education
   * Support the creation of a worldwide network of governmental representatives and key stakeholders on financial education
   * Encourage further the elaboration of best practices and principles with the guidance of the network and under the aegis of the OECD [< http://www.financial-education.org/document/50/0,3343,en_39665975_39666038_39711282_1_1_1_1,00.html > How to join].

See Press Release 29 April 2008
Governments and industry should invest more in financial education, warns OECD
http://www.oecd.org/document/48/0,3343,en_2649_201185_40539888_1_1_1_1,00.html

29/04/2008 - Many people have a poor understanding of the financial issues that affect their lives, according to OECD analysis. To help them, OECD countries have agreed new good practices on financial education relating to < http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/4/21/40537843.pdf> private pensions and < http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/3/44/40537762.pdf> insurance that call on governments and business to work together to improve financial literacy in order to give people the tools they need to secure their future.

AND MUCH 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 : 8:41 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
________________________________________________________________________

Federal Reserve Bank of New York

Global Economic Indicators
http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/global_economy/globalindicators.html


Economic and financial conditions of the global economy are outlined in the charts and other resources at this site. Charts are updated daily.

Among the information found here is the following:

ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS
Charts for the United States, Euro Area, and Japan

Browse:
Basic Charts for Other Selected Countries
Summary charts include gross domestic product (GDP), unemployment rate, consumer price index and industrial production.

Browse:
View all charts in a single document PDF
66 pages / 267 kb
 
Exchange Rates
Bilateral Exchange Rates »
Yen/Dollar, Euro/Dollar and Dollar/Euro, U.K. Pound/Dollar and Canadian Dollar/Dollar
Trade-Weighted Exchange Rates »
For U.S. Dollar, EU Euro, and Japanese Yen
Industry-Specific Exchange Rates »
Industry-specific exchange rates for U.S. manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries.
 
INTEREST RATES
Long-Term Interest Rates PDF
For Canada, Euro area, Japan, and United States
International Short-Term Interest Rates PDF
For Canada, Euro area, Japan, and United States
 
FINANCIAL MARKETS
Stock Market Indexes PDF
Monthly averages for TSE 300 (Canada), Euro-Stoxx (Euro area), Topix (Japan), and S&P 500 (United States)

______________________________
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 : 1:19 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
________________________________________________________________________

Work Foundation (UK)


Migration Myths: Employment, Wages and Labour Market Performance
David Coats, Associate Director ­ Policy
http://workfoundation.org/Assets/PDFs/migration2.pdf
[full-text, 88 pages]

See Press Release 24 April 2008
Immigration: vital for the UK's economic success
http://workfoundation.org/aboutus/media/pressreleases/immigrationvitalfortheukseconomicsuccess.aspx


[excerpts]
Immigration is now the most hotly contested political issue in the UK, outstripping
unemployment or public service quality as a cause of public concern. There can be no denying
that people are worried, although the economic reasons for rising public anxiety are not easy to
identify. After all, the last decade has witnessed an expansion of employment, significant falls
in unemployment and rising national prosperity. Most people are better off than they were ten
years ago, employment insecurity has fallen and job satisfaction remains high.
...

This paper is therefore written from the perspective that the recent high levels of inward
migration have, on balance, been a significant advantage for the UK economy. There is little
evidence to show that recent migrants have displaced UK nationals or that there has been
significant downward pressure on wages (partly because the national minimum wage has
been rising rapidly). The counterfactual to consider is what might have happened in either
the complete absence of migration or migration at a much lower level; if, for example, the
government had prevented workers coming to the UK from the eight new EU member states
in Central and Eastern Europe (hereafter A8 countries) since their accession in 2004. We can
hypothesise that the labour market would have been considerably tighter, especially at the
bottom end. Employers would have had to offer higher wages to attract scarce labour and
it is reasonable to assume that this would have had a ripple effect further up the earnings
distribution as more affluent workers restored their differentials.


Contents
1. Introduction 4
2. Some economic theory and international evidence 9
3. Labour market realities and migration flows 17
4. Who are the A8 migrants and where are they working? 31
5. The impact of migration on employment 47
6. The impact of migration on wages and the macro-economy 57
7. Economic trends in Central and Eastern Europe: the impact on migration 67
8. Who are the losers? 72
9. Evaluation and conclusion 80
Bibliography 85

List of Figures and Tables
Figure 1: Product Market Regulation 2006 5
Figure 2: Restrictiveness of Employment Protection Legislation 16
Figure 3: Employment rate 1997- 2007 20
Figure 4: People in employment (millions) 1997- 2007 20
Figure 5: The changing structure of the UK population 1971-2006 22
Figure 6: Population, selected age groups 1981-2006 22
Figure 7: Total international migration 1996-2006 25
Figure 8: A8 and New Commonwealth migration 2004-2006 26
Figure 9: A8 National Insurance registrations and Worker's Registration Scheme 2002-2007 27
Figure 10: WRS registrations by country of origin 2004-2007 28
Figure 11: A8 migrants by nationality and year of arrival in the UK (employees) 29
Figure 12: Nationality of A8 migrants 2004-2007 31
Figure 13: Composition of A8 migrants by age 2004-2007 33
Figure 14: Intended length of stay A8 migrants June 2006-June 2007 34
Figure 15: Where did migrants go in 2006? (English regions) 34
Figure 16: NINos issued to A8 migrants by region 2004-2007 35
Figure 17: Geographical distribution of employers of registered workers 36
Figure 18: Top five sectors ­ geographical distribution of employers cumulative total 36
Figure 19: Top ten sectors ­ distribution of employers2004-2007 39
Figure 20: Top five sectors, distribution of employees 39
Figure 21: Employment rates by nationality, 2007 (per cent of working age migrants in UK) 44
Figure 22: Unemployment (per cent) 1992-2007 48
Figure 23: Change in unemployment by region January 2007-January 2008 49
Figure 24: NEET Historical Series 50
Figure 25: NMW trajectory, prices and earnings 1999-2007 57
Figure 26: Percentage change in median earnings growth 2001-2007 59
Figure 27: Percentage change in earnings 2001-2007 ­ tenth percentile, hotels, construction 60
Figure 28: Unemployed (per cent) 2001-2006 68
Figure 29: GDP per capita $US 68
Figure 30: GDP growth (percentage change) 2001-2007 69
Figure 31: Percentage of people living in a workless household 74
Figure 32: Economic activity and workless households 74
Figure 33: The geographical distribution of worklessness 76
Table 1: Unemployment, GDP per head and the propensity to migrate 32
Table 2: Top 20 Occupations in 2006, A8 Migrants 40
Table 3: Occupations of A8 Migrants 2007 41
Table 4: A8 Migrants and Benefits May 2004-June 2007 43
Table 5: Breakdown of households by working and poverty status (millions) 73
______________________________
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 : 12:34 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 Trade Union Institute for Research, Education and Health and Safety (ETUI-REHS)
WP 2008.01

EU enlargement and social standards: exporting the European Social Model? [April 2008]
Maarten Keune
http://www.etui-rehs.org/research/content/download/3940/23103/file/WP%202008.01%20Keune%20EU%20enlargement.pdf
[full-text, 24 pages]

Abstract:
ETUI-REHS Working Paper 1/2008 now available: EU Enlargement and social standards: exporting the European Social Model - Maarten Keune

In this paper the extent to which the EU is actively disseminating a social model is considered, through the lens of EU enlargement and accession. To what extent or in what ways has enlargement served as a vehicle for the spreading of EU social standards? The paper examines the social effects of the transposition and implementation of the acquis communautaire, taking account of the (hard and soft) social elements of the acquis as well as some of its economic elements. To this effect, it considers:
·          the concept of the European social model and how it finds its expression in EU regulations and practices;
·          the weight given to social considerations in the accession procedure;
·          the impact of the social acquis on labour markets and welfare state regulations and policies in the EU-10;
·          the social implications of some of the economic elements of the acquis, in particular those relating to the Single Market and European Monetary Union.


The paper shows firstly that European integration remains dominated by the economic integration and that the development of European social regulations has been piecemeal. This has from the outset limited the weight of social issues in the accession process. Secondly, the domestic impact of EU-level social regulations and processes has been limited by implementation failures and domestic interpretations. What is more, while transposition of the social acquis has in some cases led to a raising of standards, in others standards have declined or remained unaffected because of 'pro forma' transpositions. In addition, although domestic actors adopted much of the EU discourse pertaining to the soft acquis, they have often not translated this into domestic policy changes. Finally, it is argued that the requirements related to the Internal Market and to EMU, have led, or are likely to lead in the near future, to negative social effects in the new members.

This analysis then suggests that the requirements stemming from EU membership, rather than improving social standards in the new member states, are likely to exert downward pressure on these standards. Indeed, in the context of enlargement the EU emerges as a weak transnational actor in the social field.

Contents

1. Introduction 5
2. The European Social Model 5
3. The weight of social issues in the accession process 7
4. The impact of the social acquis 9
5. The social impact of the economic acquis 15
6. Conclusions 17
References 19
Discussion and Working Papers 23

______________________________
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 : 8:50 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 (Dublin Foundation)

Mind the gap ­ Women's and men's quality of work and employment - Background paper [28 April 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/publications/htmlfiles/ef0839.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/pubdocs/2008/39/en/1/ef0839en.pdf
[full-text, 12 pages]

Author: Foundation

Summary: Gender mainstreaming is an integral part of the research conducted by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. When labour market participation, working conditions and the resulting labour market outcomes are analysed, the difference in the situation of women and men is evident. This report highlights the main issues concerning women's situation in the labour market and indicate where the principal barriers to women's labour market participation lie.

Contents
Increasing entry of women into labour market
Sectoral concentration
Men's jobs ­ women's jobs: a world apart?
Breaking the glass ceiling?
Flexibility for some, security for others
Mind the pay gap
Work­life balance
Social partner actions
Conclusions

INCLUDES 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 : 7:42 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 RL34436

The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns April 4, 2008
Jonathan L. Ramseur, Analyst in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division
http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RL34436_20080404.pdf
[full-text, 39 pages]

Summary
If Congress establishes a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction program
(e.g., cap-and-trade system), the treatment of GHG emission offsets would likely be
a critical design element. If allowed as part of an emissions program, offsets could
provide cost savings and other benefits. However, offsets have generated concern.

An offset is a measurable reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of GHG
emissions from a source not covered by an emission reduction program. If allowed,
offset projects could generate "emission credits," which could be used by a regulated
entity (e.g., power plant) to comply with its reduction requirement. Offsets could
include various activities:

*agriculture or forestry projects: e.g., conservation tillage or planting trees on previously non-forested lands;

*enewable energy projects: e.g., wind farms;

*energy efficiency projects: e.g., equipment upgrades;

*non-CO2 emissions reduction projects: e.g., methane from landfills

Including offsets would likely make an emissions program more cost-effective
by (1) providing an incentive for non-regulated sources to generate emission
reductions and (2) expanding emission compliance opportunities for regulated
entities. Some offset projects may provide other benefits, such as improvements in
air or water quality. In addition, the offset market may create new economic
opportunities and spur innovation as parties seek new methods of generating offsets.

The main concern with offset projects is whether or not they represent real
emission reductions. For offsets to be credible, a ton of CO2-equivalent emissions
from an offset project should equate to a ton reduced from a covered emission source,
such as a smokestack or exhaust pipe. This objective presents challenges, because
many offsets are difficult to measure. If illegitimate offset credits flow into an
emissions trading program, the program would fail to reduce GHG emissions.

Another concern is whether the inclusion of offsets would send the appropriate
price signal to encourage the development of long-term mitigation technologies.
Policymakers may consider a balance between price signal and program costs.

If eligible in a U.S. program, international offsets are expected to dominate in
early decades, because they would likely offer the lowest-cost options. Domestic
sectors, such as agriculture and forestry, might benefit if international offsets are
excluded. Some object to the use of international offsets due to concerns of fairness:
the low-cost options would be unavailable to developing nations if and when they
establish GHG emission targets. However, some offset projects may promote
sustainable development. On the other hand, international offsets may serve as a
disincentive for developing nations to enact laws or regulations controlling GHG
emissions, because many projects would no longer qualify as offsets.

Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Offsets: An Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Offset Types and Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Biological Sequestration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Renewable Energy Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Non-CO2 Emissions Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Potential Supply of Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Potential Benefits of Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Cost-Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Potential Co-Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Potential Benefits to Developing Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Other Potential Domestic Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Potential Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Integrity Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Additionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Double-Counting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Permanence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Leakage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Delay of Technology Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Transaction Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Concerns in Developing Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Considerations for Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

List of Figures
Figure 1. Estimated Annual Supply of Offsets from U.S. Agriculture and Forestry Sectors at Different Carbon Prices (in 2015) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Figure 2. Estimated Annual Supply of Offsets from U.S. Methane and Nitrous Oxide Reduction Projects at Different Carbon Prices (in 2015) . . . . . . . . . . 11
Figure 3. Effect of Three Offset Scenarios on Carbon Price Under Framework of S. 280 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Figure 4. Estimated Contribution from Offsets by Type Under S. 280 . . . . . . . . 15
Figure 5. CERs Issued by Offset Type (as of February 2008) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Figure 6. Projected CERs Issued by 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
______________________________
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 : 7:35 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
________________________________________________________________________

International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) at the (ILO)
Research Series 116

Governance, International Law & Corporate Social Responsibility [2008]
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/116.pdf
[full-text, 222 pages]

[excerpt]
There has been heated debate in recent years regarding the extent
to which corporate social responsibility (CSR) may contribute
to the promotion of core workers' rights, as embodied in ILO conventions
or national law. The purpose of this volume is to contribute to this
debate by discussing the legal dimensions of the issue.

In particular, an analysis the legal character of CSR is presented.
Some authors argue that CSR involves "soft law" with limited effects on
working conditions and workers' rights. They base this judgement on the
fact that CSR does not involve any legal commitment on behalf of the
enterprise. Others, on the contrary, consider that CSR is more appropriate
than traditional legal instruments in view of today's globalised
economies. Indeed, CSR would provide the kind of flexibility that firms
need in order to adapt to globalisation, while still protecting workers adequately.
Still others stress that soft and hard law are not mutually exclusive
and that CSR can add a layer to the basic rights and protection provided
by hard law.

The volume also discusses the possible legal consequences of the
proliferation of private voluntary initiatives. In particular, if an increasing
number of enterprises develop their own codes, the issue arises of
whether there is a need for harmonising the different initiatives and for
protecting the principle of predictability of law.

Another question discussed in the volume relates to the notions of
"sphere of influence" and "complicity", as defined by the Global Compact.
One of the principles of CSR lies indeed in the recognition by the
corporations of the consequences of their actions outside of the company
itself (environment, local communities, supply chain, etc.) and in their
liability for these actions. Following the same idea, the question of complicity
arises when the corporation is not directly responsible for a human
rights violation but, in a way or another, is proven to be indirectly
involved in it. These two notions are strongly debated when referring to
CSR, and it is the ambition of this book to participate in the discussion.

In sum, highly qualified researchers and officials from different
backgrounds present here their views on CSR, the nature of the phenomenon,
the factors behind its rapid growth the possible normative
consequences.

______________________________
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 : 6:16 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 187

Harnessing globalization for development: Opportunities and obstacles [2008]
by Eddy Lee
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inst/download/dp18708.pdf
[full-text, 42 pages]

[excerpt]
This paper examines the conditions under which globalisation improves the socio-economic
prospects in developing countries. It is often claimed that the impact of globalisation depends
crucially on domestic policies. Accordingly, the expectation is that, in the presence of welldesigned
domestic policies and institutions, globalisation will spur economic growth and
promote job creation. The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of this premise, based
on a review of available studies.

The paper notes that there is no simple-minded link between globalisation and
development. Some developing countries have engaged in freer trade and investment policies,
and yet results have been disappointing so far. By contrast, some successful performers have
not adopted orthodox liberalisation policies.

The paper looks into possible explanations behind country heterogeneity in the response to
globalisation. These include different national policies, the role of international rules and
standards and the pace and nature of the globalisation process itself. Paradoxically, the latter is
often an omitted factor, and yet, according to the paper, it plays a crucial role.


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface ........................................................................................................................................................v
I. Introduction............................................................................................................................................1
II. New dimensions of globalization ..........................................................................................................2
i) The expanding scope......................................................................................................................... 2
ii) Forces driving increasing linkages................................................................................................... 5
III. Globalization and the prospects for development...........................................................................10
i) Rapid convergence globally? .......................................................................................................... 11
ii) Convergence among developing countries?................................................................................... 13
IV. Pathways into the global economy ....................................................................................................15
i) Global manufacturing ..................................................................................................................... 15
ii) Global services.............................................................................................................................. 17
iii) Global agriculture ..........................................................................................................................18
iv) Global finance...............................................................................................................................20
v) International migration....................................................................................................................22
V. Policy issues .........................................................................................................................................25
i) International policies....................................................................................................................... 25
ii) National policies ............................................................................................................................ 27
iii) Concluding remarks...................................................................................................................... 31
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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                  
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# posted by SBasefsky : 5:51 AM