From a “race-to-the-bottom” to social justice in the global labor market

The chapter is organized in four sections. The first examines empirical evidence on working conditions in the global market that suggest current trends toward a “race-to-the-bottom” (RTB) effect or a downward harmonization. From this evidence, a theoretical RTB model is constructed to highlight the main dynamics and relationships in what amounts to exploitation of global workers, a problem that awaits rectification.