Employment Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Employment Relations - Essay Example This socioeconomic demarcation inevitably paves way for South-to-North migration, which will remain our area of focus. In 2000, there were a total of 80.9 Million migrants in the world among which approximately 40% of the migrants were from the South. According to the International labor Organization (ILO), some of the reasons cited for migration include: †¢ Poverty †¢ Wars †¢ Famine †¢ Repression †¢ Population pressures on scarce natural resources, †¢ Wage or income inequality †¢ Growing urbanization, †¢ Reduction in the cost of transport and communications †¢ Increasing interactions among societies †¢ Establishment of migration networks by earlier migrants. Globalization is both a cause, and a consequence of migration. While most of the world is celebrating increased transnational interaction, there is growing skepticism about the fruits of such open interaction and liberal policies. This notion has translated to simultaneously incr easing nationalist sentiments in some factions, specially as an aftermath of the global economic crisis. Immigration restrains have often been a subject of moral debate with proponents of migration citing the right to emigrate, as an inalienable right of any human being. It is suggested that equality of opportunity shouldn’t be restricted by geographical boundaries. ... International labor laws and migrant unions are constantly trying to create a balance between easing migrant movement, yet maintaining national sovereignty through regulation of immigration. Consequently, the migrant worker has yet again become an area of focus. Historically seen as an instrument of convenient labor, the experiences of migrant workers pose as interesting commentaries on the existing socioeconomic fabric of the globalized world of today. THE MIGRANT LABOUR MARKET: A notable feature of a number of migrants from the South is their socioeconomic milieu and their skill and education level. While many professionals are seen migrating to the Northern regions, at the other end of the tier there is mass mobilization of unskilled labor, the attractiveness of which lies in its abundance and easy accessibility. Most economies of the South are not able to sustain their citizens, thus the labor market naturally diverts a number of people to move to destinations where they can fetc h a relatively higher price for their provided labor. (S, Valiani., 2008) On the demand side, businesses in the North view unskilled migrant workers as a convenient alternative to an empowered local labor market, thus creating room for more commanding working terms. The dynamics of this relationship cause the room for the employers to create undue influence by virtue of their position. This is perhaps an area where trade unions have not been able to negotiate because it lies beyond their conventional area of work. (Holgate, J., 2005) The need for migrant labor in a host region occurs either because of a dearth of the required labor in the local market or because of cost effectiveness. It has been seen that there are particular sectors that usually provide employment for migrant workers.