Transnational Labor Slavery and Revolt - Coursework Example

Transnational Labor Slavery and Revolt Introduction: The increasing trans-nationalisation of production and in formalisation of labour relations hasundermined the traditional power resources of national labour movements. Yet, globalisation has not left workers without weapons. There are two different types of so-called global value chains in the modern industry. One is buyer-driven value chains, where the level and the volume of production are controlled by the organisation. Generally large retailers like Wal-Mart or Nike generally controls the production process through its power to award and withdraw production contracts. On the other hand in case of producer-driven chains, control is with the production headquarters, for example the car manufacturer VW in Wolfsburg/Germany. The fact that it is often large retail companies, which dominate buyer-driven chains, implies that labour can form alliances with consumer groups in pressuring these retailers into enforcing good working conditions and living wages in their suppliers. In this paper the main objective is to analyse the movement associated with transnational labour slavery and revolt in different parts of the world during various period, what are the main reasons behind this revolt, how labours across the globe fight against different irregularities, what are the impact of the same and how this revolt able to rewrite the history of labour’s fight all over the globe. Transnational Activist Campaigns: Generally from the very earlier age, the producer as well as owners of different organisations, generally controls the buyer-driven chains. Labours in different parts of the world to control and reduce this dominance can form alliances with consumer groups in pressuring these retailers into enforcing good working conditions and living wages in their suppliers. As a result, transnational activist campaigns (TAC) developed in different parts of the world. During this movements, the labours who are inspired by the left movements ‘co-operate closely with activist groups including women’s groups, human and labour rights organizations, and student organizations, groups ‘that have legitimacy and can maximize the shaming mechanism as they pressure leading apparel firms through consumer-oriented campaigns’. (Anner, 2011, p.16). Anner in his review also mentioned that, ‘in different producer-driven chains, ‘the transnational labour solidarity rests on co-operation between the trade unions in the various production sites of a company. This results in often more stable union-to-union relationships or so-called transnational labour networks (TLNs)’. (Anner, 2001, p. 17). Role of Trade Unions: Trade unions in different parts of the world not always engage in transnational campaigns in order to defend workers’ rights. In all the sectors, the trade unions all across the globe have a more nationalist outlook with a focus on closer co-operation with the local employer and state institutions. Anner in his analysis mention this as radical flank mechanism. ‘Moderate’ trade unions offer themselves to employers as the less radical alternative to internationalist left unions. ‘As left unions gained strength through transnational activism and plant-level militancy, a new opportunity emerged for moderate unions. Factory owners had learned that one way to block left unionization was to allow the moderate unions to represent the workforce’. (Anner, 2001, p. 87). The Birth of Slavery: Making difference on the basis of race is very recent development in world history. During the last few centuries, due toEuropean expansionism people of this world were classified on the basis of racial lines. In the USA, the concept of race developed as a means of merging chattel slavery as well as the annihilation of American Indians—with the ideals of freedom addressed by whites in the new colonies. During the early colonial period, when clearances remained relatively small, indentured slavery was the leadingresources of securing cheap labor. Under this system, whites and blacks fought to survive against a mutual enemy, what historian Lerone Bennett Jr. (1975) describes as “the big planter apparatus and a social system that legalized terror against black and white bondsmen.” (Bennett Jr, 1975, p. 61) At the beginning, the black people who take on board to USA were not all for the work of slave. Some of them were canned as indentured domestics. But with the expansion of plantation farming, particularly the cotton and tobacco industry, both demand for land and labor was increased drastically in the USA. (Bennett Jr, 1975, pp. 61-63). The demand for land was met by occupying and conquering larger and larger strips of territory. American Indians became a growing weakness to white European progress. During that phase the appearance of the American Indians presented in various books or article were very negative. Keith Kilty and Eric Swank (1997) mentioned that eliminating “savages” is less of ethical problem than removing human beings, and so American Indians came to be assumed as a lesser race—uncivilized savages—thus provided that a defense for the extinction of the native peoples. (Kilty & Swank, 1997, p. 106).The growing demand for labor on farms was met through slavery. American Indians were measured inappropriate as slaves, largely because native tribes were in a mindset to fight back. European immigrants were also thought poor contenders for slavery, not only because of their race, but there were in short source and dependence would, quite naturally, inhibit with intended immigration to the new colonies. By the mid-1770s, the scheme of bond labor had been carefully altered into a racial caste scheme based on slavery. The tainted position of Africans was vindicated on the ground that Negroes, like the Indians, were an isolated lesser race, maybe even more deficient in intellect and creditable human potentials than the red-skinned Indians natives. The structure and content of the original Constitution was built largely on the exertion to preserve a racial caste system—slavery. Southern slaveholding colonies would decide to formulate a union based on the condition that the centralized government would not be able to hamper with the right to own slaves. Northern white elites were compassionate to the demand for their “property rights” to be valued, as they also wanted the Constitution to protect their property importance. (Fresia, 1998, pp. 54-56). Labor Movements and Theories: On the basis of different instances, historians able to develop different theories related to labor revolt. In analyst view, labor can be considered as a fictitious commodity and therefore any instances to treat the human being as commodity therefore resultant into revolt. Although in the field of production, labor is a commodity, but it cannot be stretched as long as anyone wants. In this light, the labor movement of the twentieth century is being analyzed. It can be compared as a pendulum like motion. When the swing was towards the commoditization of labor, it provoked strong counter movement. This countermovement was highly observed during late nineteenth and early twentieth century. (Silver, 2003, p.17). In Silver’s opinion, all the labor movement across the globe can be categorize under this pendulum concept. For example, the automobile industry has frequently responded to labor turbulence by relocating to other regions across the globe. But rather than developing “race to the bottom,” approach these actions have reproduced the same “social contradictions,” and the same kind of strong labor movements. Silver concludes, “It appears that corporations in the automobile industry have been chasing the mirage of cheap and disciplined labor around the world, only to find themselves continuously recreating militant labor movements in the new locations. Rather than providing a permanent spatial fix to the problems of profitability and labor control, relocation has only succeeded in geographically relocating the contradictions from one site of production to another.” (Silver, 2003, pp. 97-98). She also mentioned that, the historical pattern therefore created more labor revolt in the automobile industries as, ff past incidents are a point to future trends, then we have good reasons to expect the appearance of strong, self-governing autoworkers’ movement in Mexico and China during the coming decade, as these two are the home of automobile. Revolt against Slavery: Many unrecognized protagonists brawled in the war against slavery from expatriate times to the LiberationDeclaration. The incident of the past has been told, but the influential people who were behind those slave revolts have often been overlooked by history. They are the people who were solely responsible for all the great movements in labor history and the fight they have fought for their rights. Nat Turner, in 1831, was the key behind the longest slave revolt in history. In 1839, Cinque, a young African imprisoned, led the revolt on the slave ship the Amistad and was protected before the Supreme Court by former President John Quincy Adams. Maroonsslaves who revolted by running away, set up own hidden groups in the South. They courageously waged guerilla warfare against other slave owners in different parts of the world. All these stirring, inspiring voices finally need to be heard, not to adoreviciousness but to recompensecompliment to those people who brawled and often died for their absolute. (McKissack & McKissack, 1999). The history of slave revolt went back as early as 73 B.C, when slave revolt was originated against Spartacus. That slave revolt was one of the most successful one in the Roman history. It was started when a handful of slaves escaped from his slave army and announced fight against his regime. Soon the movement gathers momentum and almost 12000 former Bondsmen joined them. But in spite of their early conquests, the slaves later fell prey to disunion and divided into numerous shambolic factions and that helped the Roman rulers to dominate them. Far before the African slaves were ever carried to North America, they encouraged a rebellion in the Middle East and against the ruling empire. The rebellion began in 869 A.D. when Zanj slaves—an Arabic term joined with an Arab team controlled by Ali bin Muhammad and stood up against the Abbasid Caliphate. Encouraged by promises of plot and freedom, the Zanj began leading night raids on adjacent cities in order to snatch supplies and release fellow slaves. In the history of the slave revolt, the most successful slave revolt against slavery started in 1791 in the valuable French colony of Saint-Dominique. The revolt was carried on till 1794 before French government officially abolished slavery in all its territories. The well-known rebel general Toussaint Louverture then united forces with French Republicans and by 1801 had proven himself as governor of the island. But when the force of Napoleon Bonaparte captured the island in 1802 and wanted to launch slavery, they took up force one more time. Led by Jean-Jacques Dessalines, in 1803 they overpowered French forces at the Battle of Vertières. In the very next year the former slaves stated their independence and established the island as the new republic of Haiti. In the history of slave revolt, this is the only time when a slave revolution ended with a formation of new country (Andrews, 2013). Conclusion: The labor revolt was started as early as 72BC and it is still continuing in different parts of the world. In the earlier age the labor revolution was forcefully controlled and stopped by different leaders across the globe. But with the independence of different countries, introduction of different labor act, presence of human rights commission and other international bodies, it is hard for countries or in some cases hard for some specific classes to push the labor class to extreme like the primitive days. But still in different parts of the world there is dominant labor culture in place and as the development of science is yet to reach every corner of the globe in full flow, there are several incidents that not come to light. Although it not as harsh or as brutal like the past but still use of power over the labor class is still very much popular in different parts of the globe and to make it sure that each labor have their equal rights, there have to be similar and strict law in place and proper monitoring is also needed. References Andrews, E. (2013); 7 Famous Slave Revolts, History Lists, retrieved on 12.1.2013 from http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/7-famous-slave-revolts Anner, M. (2011), Solidarity Transformed Labour Responses to Globalization and Crisis in Latin America, CornellUniversity Press. Bennett Jr., L.; (1975), The Shaping of Black America, Chicago: Johnson. Fresia G.;(1998), Toward an American Revolution: Exposing the Constitution and Other Illusions, Boston: South End Press. Kilty, K. &Swank, E.; Institutional Racism and Media Representations: Depictions of Violent Criminals and Welfare Recipients, Sociological Imagination, 34(2), p. 106 McKissack, C. P. & McKissack F.L., (1999), Rebels Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts, Paperback. Silver, J.B. (2003), Forces of Labor: Workers Movements and Globalization Since 1870, Cambridge University Press Read More