The Employment Challenge: Towards a Trade and Currency Regime for Decent Work
Abstract
The European Union's turn to bilateral Free Trade Agreements with countries where code labor rights are violated regularly has led to the request for social chapters in trade agreements. However, a systematic determination of the content of such social chapters has been lacking so far. This interdisciplinary research project (economics, law, political science) fills the gap. First, it looks at the economic justification for a social chapter. Second, it discusses which kind of sanctions would fulfill political criteria of legitimacy. Third, it explores the compatibility of social chapters with GATT rules. The sum of the findings informs sample texts for social chapters in EU trade agreements differentiated according to the level of industrialization of the partner countries.
Expected Contribution to the Decent Work Agenda
We attempt to identify employment creating trade and capital account regime that does not rest on a downward push of working conditions and wages but adheres to the ILO’s ´Decent Work` agenda.
Publications
Scherrer, C., & Hänlein, A. (2012). Sozialkapitel in Handelsabkommen. Begründungen und Vorschläge aus juristischer, ökonomischer und politologischer Sicht, Baden-Baden.