Union response to globalisation

A fusion between Unite, Britain's biggest trade union, and the American union United Steelworkers has created the largest inter-continental union in the steel sector. Federico Rampini explains the background to the "super-union" with an eye to threats facing the steel industry: "For years the steel industry has been considered the yardstick for economic development in both countries. But today it is firmly in Indian hands. Takeovers by Asian firms have been carried out on a massive scale in recent years. The Asian companies are by no means hostile to workers or unions, but they have different, stricter criteria in their layoff and wage policies. The super-union is an expression of the workers' fear in the face of globalisation. The negotiating table is the only answer to the massive competition from Asia."

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