Many domestic labour organisations are not reassured by these arguments. Emerging research suggests a direct link between worker rights and wage levels. Porter's view that the productivity of human resources determines wages implies that wages are proportional to productivity. The history of the South Korean case demonstrates that insistence on labour rights will not necessarily damage infant industry. To the contrary, improved labour rights may assist Third World enterprises to become more competitive.
Internationalists favour multilateral international labour standards.
Therefore difficult to run internationally if USA is not a signatory to many ILO conventions. The real politik is that in a world of intense economic rivalries, it is unlikely that Japan, the EU or the US will either submit to international challenge for unfair labour practices in their own countries or surrender the right to decide and act unilaterally when exporting countries are breaching labour standards. There arise sensitive extra-territoriality issues, but there is precedent. Governments of Nordic countries and Canada issued directives prohibiting home-based TNCs from carrying out discriminatory policies in their South African operations in the era of apartheid. Go to the Imports conference area to have your say.