global pay equity

Fri, 10 Jul 1998 10:47:50 -0400
Gernot Kohler (gernot.kohler@sheridanc.on.ca)

....if something similar has been stated somewhere else already, please
forward a reference...

Wallerstein has called for "renegotiation of historically grown wage
bargains" in the world-system (Wallerstein 1978). The undervaluation of
labour of low- and middle-income countries has been criticized by Emmanuel
(1962, 1969/72) and others. From a perspective of global Keynesianism, low
incomes of anyone in the world are bad for global demand.

MOTION (to the global labour movement):
"The global labour movement will place the demand for 'global pay equity'
on its list of demands in its demand-setting process" [ if it has one]

EXPLANATION: The women's movement has done a splendid job developing the
theory, practice and politics of pay equity. An important principle has
been developed which is already being used in praxis, e.g., in Canada, namely:

PRINCIPLE: "equal pay for work of equal value"
(meaning: If persons A and B perform work of the same value, both must be
remunerated at the same rate. The fact that one is a man and the other a
woman is irrelevant.)

This principle can and must be globalized and extended worldwide to any
category of person. Thus, if a Mexican performs work of the same value as a
Canadian , he/she must be paid the same. The fact that we and "the system"
are used to discriminatory global wage differentials is deplorable and,
with respect to the principle, irrelevant. In its globalized form, the
principle could be stated thus:

GLOBAL PAY EQUITY: "equal pay for work of equal value, globally"

The demand for global pay equity would generate for the global labour
movement added movement and solidarity.

Regards,
Gernot Kohler
School of Computing and Information Management
Sheridan College
Oakville, Ont., Canada
e-mail: gernot.kohler@sheridanc.on.ca

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" Albert Einstein