The Global Commission on the Future of Work’s “Work for a brighter future” report is out. The Global Commission is a 27-member groupof global figures, established in 2017, that look at key issues affecting the global economy of work. These issues include things such as “new forms of work, the institutional ramifications of the changing nature of work, lifelong learning, greater inclusivity and gender equality, the measurement of work and human well-being, and the role of universal social protection in a stable and just future of work.” Get the report here. Labor strikes across the world are spilling into the global supply chain. Major labor disputes between farm workers on Honduran plantations and their employers may impact U.S. fruit imports. Meanwhile, manufacturing plants in Mexico reportedly lost “$50 million a day in unfulfilled international contracts” due to striking workers across multiple industries. In Bangladesh, reportedly more than 11,000 workers in the country’s garment sector have been laid off. This comes as protests continue over implementation of the country’s new minimum wage laws. Bangladesh is the second-largest clothing exporter in the world. In Britain, unions are demanding that Theresa May drop all opposition to their current proposal of allowing electronic voting in union elections. In return, Labour MPs say they will support the current Brexit deal. Organized labour in Canada is taking a strong stance against the “federal government’s decision to embrace Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido over the regime of Nicolas Maduro — which has been accused of human rights abuses and of winning the last election through vote-rigging.” Meanwhile, France’s Yellow Vest protest movement appears to be losing steam. Maybe Macron’s month-long listening tour is doing the trick?
