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The trade-labour nexus: global value chains and labour provisions in European Union free trade agreements

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posted on 2023-06-09, 16:38 authored by Mirela BarbuMirela Barbu, Liam Campling, Adrian Smith, James Harrison, Ben Richardson
Labour standards provisions contained within the European Union’s (EU) free trade agreements (FTAs) are a major iteration of attempts to regulate working conditions in the global economy. This article develops an analysis of how the legal and institutional mechanisms established by these FTAs intersect with global value chain governance dynamics in countries with contrasting political economies. The article formulates an original analytical framework to explore how governance arrangements and power relations between lead firms in core markets and suppliers in FTA signatory countries shape and constrain the effectiveness of labour provisions in FTAs. This analysis demonstrates how the common framework of labour provisions in EU trade agreements, when applied in a uniform manner across differentiated political-economic contexts, face serious difficulties in creating meaningful change for workers in global value chains.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Global Labour Journal

ISSN

1918-6711

Publisher

International Sociological Association's Research Committee on Labour Movements (RC44)

Issue

3

Volume

9

Page range

258-280

Department affiliated with

  • Management Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-01-28

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-01-28

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-01-26

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