This thesis measures and evaluates the impact of the integration of Philippine labour into the international labour market, by studying three prototype structures of this integration, namely: the export processing zone, migration of contract workers and subcontracting of domestic outwork. The evaluation is on two levels: first, whether the integration since the early 70s has significantly improved the levels of employment, wages and skills, and second, whether there are prospects of further growth in these variables. This study also evaluates the impact on the trade union movement and on employment of women. Theoretically, for a labour-surplus economy, linkage with the international factor market should increase the levels of the above variables. However, there is evidence that this is not necessarily so and that such linkage may prove costly in the long run. In addition to aggregate data obtained from various agencies, three community-level surveys were undertaken for this study. Each of the three structures studied shows varying degrees of significance of effects on the levels of employment, wages and skills, and on trade unions and employment of women. On an Overall level however, there is a pattern. Employment generation, if measured in terms of the regional, sectoral and industrial objectives of the structures, has been significant. But on the aggregate level, this is still far short of effecting full employment. Consequently, real wage levels in general have remained on a downward trend, although for the individual workers the gains are substantial, especially for the migrant workers. Viewed as a process, the linkage means a series of access for capital to cheaper sources of labour, particularly of women and domestic outworkers. The level of skills acquisition has not been significant and no loss of skills is indicated. Prospects for further growth in employment, wages and skills appear limited with the possible decline in demand for Philippine labour in the face of developments in the world market and the competition from other labour-surplus Asian economies. Finally, there has been a weakening of the trade union movement in general and a progressive recourse by management to employment of women as alternative source of cheap labour. Although the findings show a mixture of benefits and costs arising from the integration into the international market, it is recommended that an evaluation of this strategy be made in the light of changing world market and ASEAN regional conditions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:356509 |
| Date | January 1984 |
| Creators | Vasquez, N. D. |
| Publisher | University of Sussex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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