Trade, employment and labour standards : a study of core workers’ rights and international trade.

Recent years have witnessed growing concern over the controversial issue of trade and labor standards. In a context of intensified international competition, alleged cases of child labor exploitation or of denial of rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining in some developing countries have been perceived by some in developed countries not only as a violation of human rights but also as unfair trade practices. On the other hand, developing countries generally respond that these concerns are unfounded and reflected disguised protectionist preoccupations. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of this issue and reviews evidence for a large number of countries throughout the world. It looks at such questions as: What are the relevant labor standards in this discussion? Do countries with low levels of labour standards gain an unfair trade advantage over countries with high standards? What is the relationship between labor standards and economic development? What are the advantages and disadvantages of possible mechanisms to promote labor standards?