Podcast Summary

LSE: Public Lectures and Events

Episode: Europe, Migration and Globalisation – What About the Workers?
Date: 23 October 2007
Speaker: John Monks, General Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation
Host: LSE Film and Audio Team

Overview

This episode features John Monks, a prominent UK and European trade union leader, addressing the impact of globalization and migration on European workers. Monks explores the consequences (both positive and negative) of economic liberalization, migration, and the shifting balance between politics and markets. He scrutinizes the role of trade unions, the evolving structure of work, and the significance of maintaining a robust social dimension in Europe’s approach to globalization.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

1. Defining Globalization from a Worker’s Perspective

(02:00 – 06:00)

• Three Senses of Globalization:

  • Job Migration: Movement of jobs from richer to poorer parts of the world.
  • Immigration: Influx of workers willing to work for lower pay, sometimes affecting local wage levels, especially in unskilled roles.
  • Financial Capitalism: Rise of investment funds, private equity, and hedge funds driven by short-term returns, undermining traditional long-term commitments to workers.

• Consequences:

  • Erosion of political power and rise of market dominance.
  • Growing inequality, job insecurity, and political disillusionment – “Politics has become subservient to the market.” (08:00)
  • Emergence of protectionism in response to perceived threats from global markets and foreign ownership.

2. Migration and Protectionism

(09:30 – 15:00)

• UK generally open to migration, with trade unions leading in integrating and supporting migrant workers.
• Elsewhere in Europe (France, Germany, Italy), tighter controls prevail; national champions are protected, and there is more explicit economic nationalism.
• Increasing anxiety about job security, erosion of stable employment, and the introduction of “flex-security” models that workers often suspect mask the proliferation of insecure, precarious jobs.

3. Globalization: Not Just Doom and Gloom

(16:00 – 20:00)

• Europe as the Original Globalizer:
  Monks offers a historical perspective, noting that a century ago, most of the world was dominated by European powers. Now, complaints from Europe about rising competition are met with skepticism globally.

“Only 100 years ago… the world was clearly dominated by Europe, and for Europe to complain now because others are doing better is rightly seen as gross hypocrisy.” (17:00)

• Europe's Economic Standing:
  • Germany as the top global exporter.
  • The EU as an economic superpower with rising living standards, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.
  • European integration lifting poorer nations (e.g., Ireland, Spain, Poland).

4. The Darker Side of Globalization

(21:00 – 24:00)

• Despite gains, globalization has led to:
  • Child and slave labour in developing countries.
  • Poverty wages and poor working conditions.
  • Displacement of the unskilled and older workers in developed economies.

5. What Can Europe Do? The Social Dimension

(24:30 – 30:00)

• The importance of adding a robust “social dimension” to globalization:
  • Strong unions help distribute productivity gains and act as a brake on inequality.
  • EU should promote trade unionism both within and beyond its borders.
  • Acknowledgment that social progress has lagged behind market integration in the EU, risking disillusionment and boosting support for nationalist and xenophobic politics.

“If it’s all left… to the forces of enterprise and capital, the results… will be rising protectionism, disenchantment with democracy, and an opportunity for the reemergence of strong anti-democratic forces.” (31:31)

6. Q&A Highlights

Q: Is protectionism justified in developing countries?
(34:49)

• Monks: “I can see the case for protectionism in a developing economy. The Asian economies would not have grown like they have grown had they have had the kind of free trade principles pressed on Latin America… and thereby their own industries tended to be destroyed and multinational companies completely dominated it.”
• Supports some protection during development phase, but warns economies must “open up” eventually to avoid stagnation.

Q: On Impact of Labour Liberalization via Trade Agreements (e.g., GATS mode 4) and the Lack of Debate
(42:54)

• The audience criticizes the lack of information and debate on labour migration through non-EU (trade agreement-driven) routes and its impact on labour standards.
• Monks acknowledges: “I draw the attention… to two things. One is I think it’s better to have an agreement through the WTO on trade than not… [but] these are difficult issues. …It is generally the case that ILO standards are a condition in EU trade agreements, but not all countries will accept or enforce them.”

Q: Public Sector and Globalization
(47:13)

• Monks: The public sector is “outside the single market” but under threat from privatization and commercialization through various reforms. European treaties recognize some protection for public services, unlike the UK context.

Q: How can trade unions support integration of immigrants and balance their participation & contributions to the welfare state?
(53:41)

• Monks highlights vigorous campaigns against racist organizations and consistent advocacy for equal treatment: “When they get here, they're equal. They are not second class citizens, they are first class and they deserve the same wages, conditions, protections, labor law and so on.” (54:58)
• Welfare inclusion: Supports system where “whatever Britain offers its own citizens should be extended” to legal migrants, with qualifications via contribution for some benefits.

Q: Defining the National Interest and Constraints on Foreign Acquisition
(54:58–61:34)

• Monks criticizes the UK’s management and laissez-faire approach to foreign takeovers, especially by private equity and hedge funds, citing a lack of long-term vision and commitment.
• On limiting private equity: Expresses skepticism of their short-termist, get-rich-quick models, and highlights the risks when companies are left with assets they cannot manage or sell.

Notable Quotes

• On political disillusionment:
  “Politics has become subservient to the market… UK taxes on large businesses and the super rich seem ever more to be a matter of voluntary donation rather than obligation.” (06:00)

• On Europe’s past and hypocrisy:
  “For Europe to complain now because others are doing better is rightly seen as gross hypocrisy in other parts of the world.” (17:00)

• On the role of trade unions:
  “Strong trade unions have the effect of sharing productivity gains much more fairly than any other mechanism, and they act as a brake on inequality.” (28:00)

• On the dangers of laissez-faire globalization:
  “If it’s all left… to the forces of enterprise and capital, the results I prophesy will be rising protectionism, disenchantment with democracy and an opportunity for the reemergence of strong anti-democratic forces.” (31:31)

Key Timestamps

• 02:00: John Monks outlines three main meanings of globalization for workers.
• 09:30: Discussion of migration, protectionism, and effects on wages in the UK and EU.
• 16:00: Historical context – European colonial legacy and hypocrisy complaints.
• 21:00: Acknowledgement of the “dark” side of globalization, including exploitation.
• 24:30: The need and role of a “social dimension” in European and global economic policy.
• 31:31: Warning about leaving globalization to ungoverned market forces.
• 34:49: Q&A on protectionism and global trade unionism.
• 42:54: Audience challenge on non-EU labour liberalization and need for open debate.
• 54:58: Practical union responses to immigrant integration and welfare access.

Tone and Style

Monks combines dry humour (“My lecture sounds like the sequel to Les Misérables…”), direct critique, and candid policy analysis. He is both optimistic about European achievements and realistic (or pessimistic) about existing threats. The discussion is practical, sometimes candidly self-critical, and always focused on the reality of worker experiences and interests.

Conclusion

John Monks closes with a call for balanced optimism and activism: trade unions and governments must work together to humanize and guide globalization, rather than leaving it to market forces alone. Deliberate political action, he argues, is crucial for preserving both democracy and social cohesion in the rapidly changing European and global landscape.