Labor relations in Latin America essay
To begin with, let’s get clear that labor perspectives in South America region is ambiguous issue. Obviously, every state has its own peculiar properties about working relations. However, there is one common feature, which can be determined as opposing de facto and de jure sides (Cook, 2). Last few years, most South American countries have constitutionalized fundamental labor rights and principles of working equality. However, these concepts often conflict to local traditions and social reality.
Let’s take some look at female’s place in labor relations. It worth being mentioned, that existing legislation is fully directed to women’s labor rights protection. As the evidence, plenty of international and internal states’ laws were adopted: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women, Constitutions, Labor Laws (Cruses, 5). Nevertheless, 1990’sexperienced neoliberal transformations, which caused large asymmetry between declared fundamentals of labor equality and reality, accompanied by harsh restrictions in the field of labor and social security. As the result, South America still witness partial labor laws execution(Rios, 1). Unfortunately, this approach raised specifics of female labor status, which is more based on traditions instead of legal prescriptions. Let’s emphasize the main features of treatment. Female labor rights are still perceived as “derived” and not like some “inherent” category, what is enough to talk about inequality (Borges, 1). At second, motherhood and reproductive function are also restricted in labor relations. In this aspect, South America experience trend to low-qualified female’s labor, which is much lower paid consequently. Most of women take job places of easily dispensable employees, considering possible pregnancies. It worth being mentioned that South America region traditionally far from the thought that taking care about children is couple’s responsibility. This function inherently assigned to mother (Pautassi, 3). The common position leads to serious motherhood’s discrimination and consequent female labor rights restrictions. All these factors influence women’s assertiveness at the workplaces. It looks like their job placement can be determined as employers “goodwill”. Consequently, females are not encouraged to feel them having full rights among males employee. Working environment will never show such kind of indulgence. However, this is objective fact to talk about women assertiveness at workplaces and to response objective inequality.
The case of female labor is suitable to make common conclusion about equality principle at workplaces implementation and to talk about opposing de facto and de jure. Legally women are having full rights employees, who do not differ from males anything. However, the absence of effective control and security systems leads to this fundamentals breaking and this fact has to recognized for further common struggle.
On the other hand, minority members are much more assertive at workplaces. Unfortunately, it cannot be perceived as the result of state’s or legal achievement. Minority equality is still based on traditions that occupy South America region, which is featured by tolerant policy to these members. In fact, the institution of minorities is widely denied in most South America States. As the prove, there is the statement of Brazil representative during his appeal to Human Rights Commission: “Brazil and the other American States did not recognize the existence of minorities on the American continent. For a minority to exist a group of people must have been transferred ’en bloc’ without a chance to express their will freely, to a State with a population most of whom differed from them in race, language or religion. Thus, groups which had been gradually and deliberately formed by immigrants within a country could not be considered minorities” (Wendy, 1). This claim was not used to manifest attitude of certain politician. Appropriate statement is strong with its prevailing nature among all citizens of South America. Labor relations is not the exception. Thereby, so called “minorities members” proper perceptions do not meet serious obstacles indeed. Intensive assimilation led to equal treatment to these people. Fortunately, assimilation can be perceived as harmful effect to authentic cultural rights. However, this is the topic for other discussion.
The last point to talk about is the prevailing collective values. In this aspect, it also worth mentioning that South America legislators pay much attention to collective labor rights. As the result, labor laws all over the continent declared detailed regulatory framework for unionization, collective bargaining and strikes (Schrank, 10). These institutions are recognized as the collective tools for employees labor rights protection. The turn to collective concept is absolutely reasonable for region, which is directed to large business, industry and manufacturing (Busselton, 1). Instead of proclaimed gender labor equality, collective concept is really operating institution, which do not feel serious restrictions from the side of employers. The point is the collective concept is advantageous for both sides of labor relations. On the one hand, employees take efficient tool for self-rights protection. On the other hand, employers obtain solution for cooperation and teamwork standards implementation, which are extremely demanded at large manufactures (Drew, 1). Being fully honest, the concept of collectivism is not having full-right institution to response employers today. However, the work is carried out in appropriate direction and the perspectives of its improving does not look fictional (Castillo, 2000).
To conclude, labor relations in South America are featured by serious liberalization last few years. Unfortunately, there are still some relevant issues requiring approach’schanging today, such as female labor inequality. Objectively, there is the only need in general improving of security systems, with wide authorities to response discrimination in all its manifestations. The result will not be long in coming in this case.
