研討日期

2006年02月11日上午10:30 ~ 下午1:30

研討地點

台大社會科學院第二會議室

討論題目

題目

作者

文獻出處

Globalisation and union opposition to
technological change

Lommerud,

Meland,

Straume

Journal of International Economics 68 (2006) 1– 23 

報告人

彭正浩

參加人員

黃鴻、邱俊榮、梁文榮、林燕淑、王光正、吳芝文、陳宏易、王胤杰、冰瑤、李玫郁、林晏如、高國峰、張民忠、陳盈秀、彭正浩、曾靜枝、蔡明芳。

討論提要

•    Trade unions have a rational incentive to oppose the adoption of labour-saving technology when

–     labour demand is inelastic and

–     unions care much for employment relative to wages.

•    Trade liberalisation typically increases trade union technology opposition.

•    Incentive for technology opposition is stronger in the more technologically advanced country and in the country with the larger home market

•    Is technological progress friend or foe of ordinary workers?

        - long-term perspective, the answer is obvious.

        - with a shorter time horizon the question becomes trickier.

•    In history, the perhaps most famous example of technology resistance is the Luddite revolts in England 1811–1812.

結論

•    Our main finding is that globalisation tends to increase the likelihood that workers oppose new technology, provided that the industry in question is characterised by two-way trade, and given that relative market sizes are not too unequal.

•    Trade unions have a rational incentive to oppose the adoption of labour-saving technology when labour demand is inelastic and unions care much for employment relative to wages. Trade liberalisation typically increases trade union technology opposition. These conclusions are reached in a model of unionised international duopoly with two-way trade. We also find that the incentive for technology opposition is stronger in the more technologically advanced country and in the country with the larger home market, complementing earlier explanations for technological catch-up and leapfrogging.

延伸研究

備註