Trade union rights: An economic perspective

Though widely recognized, trade union rights also attract considerable oppo sition. The author addresses arguments concerning their negative effects on both economic efficiency and equity. Rejecting as unproven the neoliberal contention that flexibility necessarily implies superior economic performan ce, he notes that empirical evidence reveals a more complex situation, in w hich Ether factors have equal or greater influence on economic performance. On equity, he recalls the important role of trade unions in decreasing ine quality and contributing to social gains. Finally, he relativizes recent cl ashes between "Asian" and "Western" values concerning human rights, arguing for their universality.