Employmentweb_low

employment relations and health inequalities: a conceptual and empirical overvieW
it profits from, or even promotes, illegal immigration (deparle, 2007b). Western union has spent more than $1 billion on
marketing over the past four years, selectively cutting prices, and has charged into american politics, donating to
immigrants' rights groups and advocating a path to legalisation for illegal immigrants. studies show that if money transfer
fees were cut in half, over 30 million people could be lifted out of poverty in poor countries (marcelino & Kurland, 2007).
immigrant workers spend on average up to a week's wages to pay these monthly fees; for families in their home countries,
the fee represents almost two months’ worth of wages.
as part of the growing grassroots movements linking immigrants with their communities of origin, many immigrants in the
united states, especially from mexico, have come together in associations like tigra (transnational institute for grassroots
research and action), a national network of more than 200 immigrant organisations in the usa and migrant networks around the
world working together to clean up the practices of the money transfer industry in order to ensure community reinvestment. this
network has coordinated boycott actions in over a dozen cities around the usa, including new york, providence, minneapolis,
houston, los angeles, oakland, san Francisco and chicago (see boycott Western union). a central focus of these campaigns is
to pressure Western union to lower fees and prioritise community reinvestment in sustainable development. such a move would
make the money transfer industry more accountable to its customer base, namely, immigrants who often work in low-paying jobs
with little regulation. this scenario is grounded in economic reality: wire transactions cost less than us$5 to a company that
charges us$20 or more. specifically, tigra is urging Western union to adopt a transnational community benefits agreement
(tcba) that would lower fees, establish fairer exchange rates, and provide community reinvestment for sustainable development.
unfortunately the dialogue with the company has borne little fruit thus far.
References
boycott Western union . retrieved from http://www.boycottwesternunion.net/
deparle, J. (2007a, november 18). migrant money flow: a $300 billion current. The New York Times. retrieved october, 20,
2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/weekinreview/18deparle.html
deparle, J. (2007b, november 22). Western union empire moves migrant cash home. The New York Times. retrieved
october, 20, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/world/22western.html
marcelino y., & Kurland s. (2007, July 26). the poor stay poor due to the price of sending money home. New America Media. retrieved
october, 20, 2008, from http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.htmlarticle_id=122b9ed33cdb74fc9b7b30177e1cfb9f
7.3. EMPlOyMEnT COnDITIOnS
Full-time permanent employment
In wealthier countries, the traditional pattern of the employment relationship,
or so-called “standard employment”, has for many years been that of full-time
work under an employment contract of unlimited duration, with a single
employer, workers protected against dismissal, and social protection. In many
of these countries, this is still the prevailing pattern of employment. However,
since the early 80s there has been a decline of “standard” full-time permanent
jobs, and the spread of different forms of non-standard work arrangements
(such as contingent, unregulated underground work or home-based work),
many of which are characterised by variable work schedules, reduced job
security, lower wages, hazards in the workplace and stressful psychosocial
working conditions. The growth of precarious employment has also had
spillover effects on the remaining permanent jobs, including increases in work
intensity, longer hours and presenteeism (Quinlan & Bohle, 2009). On the
other hand, in middle- and low-income countries, labour markets are
charaterised by low levels of government regulation, insecure labour markets,
high levels of poverty, and political instability. Permanent employment is
uncommon and informal work is the norm.
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