Encouraging productive skills development through promotion of transnational corporate activity

Providing human resource development through growth of TNCs

Implementation

The actual contribution of transnational corporations (TNC) to human resource development and the quality of employment they provide varies depending on TNC strategies and structures. It may be tempting for government and trade unions to seek to slow the global expansion of TNCs to protect old established jobs, but it has to be recognized that globalization is a firmly entrenched process which to an increasing extent is becoming a parameter of national economic development. In many ways TNCs provide their affiliates in developing countries with better wages, conditions of work and social security benefits and help workers to acquire better skills. On the other hand competition between countries to attract foreign investment may tempt governments to cut down on social and labour standards -- especially trade union rights -- in the hope of securing extra jobs.

Claim

Transnational corporations tend to provide higher-paying and more attractive jobs, on average, than domestic firms, and in addition attract a higher-skilled and competitive workforce.

Counter-claim

The fast food industry has helped pioneer employment practices based on low pay and few rights coupled with arduous production-line work. On top of this they have pioneered, world-wide, a psychology of control over their 'crews' to motivate their young workers to identify with idiotic company goals rather than their own individual and collective needs and rights.