Portside

Last week Italy’s metal workers secured a major victory as the unions Fim, Fiom and Uilm, all affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, signed the renewed National Collective Labour Agreement (NCLA)

For global companies that have shifted production to Southeast Asia's low-cost manufacturing hub, greater cross-boarder labor coordination could mean less room for wage bargaining, a squeeze on profits and maybe even higher price tags on anything from shoes and clothing to cars and electronics appliances. But even as wages rise, labor activists are confident they aren't at risk of pricing themselves out of the market.