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contribute to the change in the operation of labour markets. David
H. Author
5
suggests that the Internet is modifying labour market
processes by three different means: first, the Internet changes the
way the demand for and supply of labour are developing. Most
enterprises have Internet pages on vacancies and numerous sites
provide for labour exchanges. Secondly, work can be delocalized
and delivered through digital means. Finally, the spatial coverage of
markets expands. A fourth factor could probably be added to the list.
As competency requirements change, more value will be given to
highly skilled and specialized workers who will be able to trade their
services as consultants. This can create new markets of free agents
developing business-to-business portals for specialized workers.
The improved availability of information on both job offers and
jobseekers creates its own difficulties, however. Enterprises must
develop tools to filter the most suitable candidates from an ever
increasing pool of offers. Indeed, research shows that the quality
of recruitment practices (measured in terms of duration of
employment as a proxy) does not differ much between advertised
vacancies and Internet placements on the one hand, and refer-
rals on the other. It is the latter that shows the best hiring results.
6
However, since the nature of the work available is increasingly
specialized, the fragmentation of the labour market will make it
increasingly necessary to call upon new technologies to refine
labour matching.
Labour markets are not the only processes that are modified
by the increased availability of ICT. Workers’ and employers’
organizations can also benefit from the use of ICT. The
Colombian Chambers of Commerce, for example, provide a
register of business names and a portal for registrations and
other enterprise-related transactions. Such efforts are also being
made in other economies around the world. Communications
and information dissemination have also been improved within
national and international labour unions. Nathan Newman
7
describes a number of specific cases in which the use of the
Internet has been critical in the mobilization of labour unions
and civil society to achieve specific social goals. These include
the fight against the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, the
campaign against a prominent North American Bank after it
suggested that the Zapatista revolt had to be eliminated, the
movement in Seattle against the World Trade Organization, and
the campaign against a leading sports goods manufacturer.
8
The
important role played by ICT in the process of mass demon-
strations is described in terms of vicious cycles where mass
media portrays an action which elicits reactions from demon-
strators coordinated by other modern information devices.
9
Some conclusions
The dynamics of technology, growth and employment are in
perpetual interplay within the framework of ongoing structural
change in the global economy. By fostering enterprise develop-
ment, productivity, economic growth, trade and competitiveness,
ICT offers a strategic lever for policy development. Targeted tech-
nological interventions can help in the development of enterprise
creation – particularly when the nature of enterprise creation
values the contributions that labour makes towards common
economic and social goals. However, we need to establish clear
links between integrated policies in these fields and poverty reduc-
tion in order to make headway in reaching the Millenium
Development Goals and to attain the goal of fair globalization
that creates opportunities for all.
The report of the World Commission highlights decent work
for all as the main channel out of poverty. Fair globalization, the
report argues, is possible if and when we are able to offer a fair
chance at a decent job to all. In order to mobilize ICT for devel-
opment, we need to establish the links between these technologies
and decent work. Dialogue between workers, employers and
governments constitutes a first step in that direction, a step that
WSIS has taken by insisting on the importance of multi-stake-
holder participation at all levels and in all aspects of ICT policy
development. An integrated policy approach to ICT is critical to
the achievement of the goals set in the Millennium Declaration,
including its objective of inclusive globalization.
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ILO would therefore like to call for a stronger emphasis, during
the second phase of WSIS and its follow-up, on issues related to
the world of work, as well as on the social dimension of ICT devel-
opment and globalization. ILO, with its unique tripartite
structure, has much to contribute to making WSIS more relevant
to the wider development agenda. We should no longer regard
ICT merely as a set of technologies, but rather as socially embed-
ded development tools.
Internet room in a library, Oman
Photo: Deloche P