Political Economy of Labour : Slovenia and Canada
Contents: I. Political economy and Canadian Labour: Introduction-political economy and contemporary Canadian capitalism: 1. Political economy and economics: the issues. 2. Institutions of production and exchange. 3. Production theory. 4. The labour process. 5. The labour market part I. 6. The labour market Part II. 7. Investment: closing the circle. 8. Growth and crisis. 9. Aggregate economics-smoothing the flow. 10. The international sector and globalism. 11. There is an alternative: a program for labour. II. Political economy and Slovenian labour: 1. Before the nation state (sixth century to 1991). 2. Transition and economic development in Slovenia: the first decade of independence. 3. The transformation of institutions: the development of corporatism in Slovenia. 4. Monetary and exchange rate policy during Slovenia’s transition. 5. Labour ad the transition Part I: Unions and the evolution of a new Industrial relations. 6. Labour and the transition Part II. 7. The political economy of the Slovenian transition: 1945-2004. 8. Political change and fiscal policy: the role of the budget in the Slovenian transition. 9. Slovenia and the EU: the accession. 10. Afterword: Slovenia in the EU. References.
This is essentially two distinct books within one cover, the first being, Political Economy and Canadian Labour and the Second Political Economy and Slovenian Labour. In the first book, Paul Philips looks at political economy and Canadian capitalism, the conflict between democracy and neoliberal capitalism, institutions of production and exchange, production theory, the labour process and market investment, growth and crisis, international sector and globalism. After sketching the problems of neo liberal global capitalism in detail, Philips puts forward an alternative program for labour. He argues that there is a neoliberal threat to democracy and economic security and stresses that trade unions matter and puts forth a democratic agenda.
In the second book, Bogomil Ferfila sketches the economic history of Slovenia from 6 century till 1991, and then looks at the transition and economic development of Independent Slovenia in the decade after 1991 the development of corporatism in Slovenia, monetary and exchange rate policies during Slovenia’s transition. He then discusses labour, transition and the development of new industrial relations and the political economy of Slovenian transition from 1945 to 2004 as well as the role of budget in the transition process. He ends with a discussion on Slovenia’s accession to EU and Slovenia’s functioning in the European Union.
The two studies put forward through a comparative framework the state of relation between political economy and labour in an advanced capitalist society and a society which has undergone transition from state socialism to capitalism, both in a worldwide situation of neo-liberal capitalism. The democratic agenda of labour is put forward as an alternative to neo-liberal capitalism. The book will be an important read for researchers on global politics political economy and labour.
