Dear all,
I have not yet read Jayati's report nor ADB/ILO but
will do so soon. My apologies for that. Just a few additional points.
1) It is important to analyse the new working conditions or rather the new subcontracting arrangements. For example, employers are using recruitment agencies which hire workers. Their terms (contracts if any) have to be
analysed. Workers are made very vulnerable without organisational support and when they complain, for example, over heavy work load and too tight schedules, they are fired.This is the case, for example, with cleaning women in institutions such as hotels.
2) Another worrisome trend is "forced" or should I say bogus entrepreneurship. Contracts of workers are ended and they need to become "micro-entrepreneurs" who have to organise their own safety nets with often
meagre imcome.
3) For decades, there has been a debate over whether informal work is good or bad. Such debate must reflect
realities of workers. Most rural workers are underemployed and agriculture being mostly seasonal, their survival
strategy has been to get their livelihood from various sources. Therefore, broadbased livelihood must be
the focus of the policies and strategies.
4) We also have to analyse global chains from field to supermarkets to see how they weaken the role of rural workers as well as informal vendors without providing any alternatives. Informal sector can thus also become pawn for ideological goals of neoliberal markets.
5) Finally, world has moved into post-industrial financial economy and the stockmarkets respond positively when workers are fired, not when they are hired. Also, the investments increasingly - according to BIS - chase their own tails. Moneys go to finance financial instruments or to tax havens.
Best regards
Anita Kelles-Viitanen
Chair of ATTAC Finland
Former Manager of Social Development ADB
I have not yet read Jayati's report nor ADB/ILO but
will do so soon. My apologies for that. Just a few additional points.
1) It is important to analyse the new working conditions or rather the new subcontracting arrangements. For example, employers are using recruitment agencies which hire workers. Their terms (contracts if any) have to be
analysed. Workers are made very vulnerable without organisational support and when they complain, for example, over heavy work load and too tight schedules, they are fired.This is the case, for example, with cleaning women in institutions such as hotels.
2) Another worrisome trend is "forced" or should I say bogus entrepreneurship. Contracts of workers are ended and they need to become "micro-entrepreneurs" who have to organise their own safety nets with often
meagre imcome.
3) For decades, there has been a debate over whether informal work is good or bad. Such debate must reflect
realities of workers. Most rural workers are underemployed and agriculture being mostly seasonal, their survival
strategy has been to get their livelihood from various sources. Therefore, broadbased livelihood must be
the focus of the policies and strategies.
4) We also have to analyse global chains from field to supermarkets to see how they weaken the role of rural workers as well as informal vendors without providing any alternatives. Informal sector can thus also become pawn for ideological goals of neoliberal markets.
5) Finally, world has moved into post-industrial financial economy and the stockmarkets respond positively when workers are fired, not when they are hired. Also, the investments increasingly - according to BIS - chase their own tails. Moneys go to finance financial instruments or to tax havens.
Best regards
Anita Kelles-Viitanen
Chair of ATTAC Finland
Former Manager of Social Development ADB
