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LABOUR JUSTICE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT or SUSTAINABILITY . BEWARE! A VALUE-LADEN ConceptIn SD debate, tug-of-war over what is to be

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LABOUR JUSTICE SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

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    1. LABOUR JUSTICE & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM Presenter: Stephanie Chok June 2009 Asia Research Centre This research is funded by Murdoch University, WA and the Sustainable Tourism CRC, Australia

    2. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT or SUSTAINABILITY BEWARE! A VALUE-LADEN Concept In SD debate, tug-of-war over what is to be ‘sustained’ (biodiversity or economic growth?) and how (preventive measures or user-pays?) essentially contestation of diverse and/or competing values (Dresner 2002, p.64)

    3. Different Sustainability Positions Very weak (a traditionally resource exploitative perspective) to the very strong (an extreme preservationist perspective) Hunter (1997:853)

    4. V Weak to V Strong Sustainability Positions (Hunter 1997)

    5. The Crisis: Widespread acceptance at general framework level but fierce political contest over its actual implementation (Macbeth 2005; Jacobs 1999)

    6. SUSTAINABLE TOURISM - A Clash of Contested Concepts Assumption: ST is ‘the same’ as SD – just apply to tourism; Critical Distinction: Difference between sustaining development that contributes to (human and non-human) welfare and sustaining tourism development per se. For e.g. meeting the needs of present tourists is not an SD objective; Majority of the world’s population does not participate in tourism - poses significant challenges to sustainable development’s equity principles.

    7. EQUITY: Fulcrum of Sustainability

    8. EQUITY: Fulcrum of Sustainability

    9. When Equity is Central, New Questions Emerge: Should an ‘eco-mall’ be celebrated if it’s constructed by an army of underpaid workers? What if an ‘environmentally-friendly’ resort is built on land acquired by displacing local villagers? Are toxin-free ‘green’ products becoming exclusive ‘eco-labels’ only the wealthy can afford?

    10. Mega Tourism Projects & Labour Supply Chains

    11. WORKING CONDITIONS Long hours - 80-90 hours a week; more then 350 hours a month; 24 hours shifts; 7 days a week; No overtime pay; Arbitrary deductions; Poor safety standards;

    12. LIVING CONDITIONS

    13. OTHER PROBLEMS Workplace Injuries – under-reporting; compensation; Withheld wages; ‘Breach of contract’ fees; Oppressive Managerial Control: Withholding of key personal documents (work permits & passports); Threats: blacklisting; Repatriation (or threat of);

    14. CHALLENGES Transnational Labour Migration Regime; Foreign Enterprises; Recruitment Agents in Sending & Receiving Countries; Transnational Corporate Law; Different legislative frameworks; Complex Labour Supply Chains; Main contractors, many sub-contractors; Inadequate Legislative Protection; Stratified migration regime; Pro-business, global political economy; Highly Politicized Issue; Controversial locally; Situation of STRUCTURAL INJUSTICE

    15. STRUCTURAL INJUSTICE: Socio-political realities for low-wage (migrant) workers

    16. IMPLICATIONS ‘TOURISM INDUSTRY’: ‘World’s largest industry’; ‘World’s largest employer’; Complex & fragmented supply chains; Wide-reaching impacts; Emphasis on ‘mega projects’ to stimulate economic figures & provide jobs; ‘Pro-poor Tourism’ emphasis on Development: At what cost and to whom? Development in what manner?

    17. FINAL QUESTIONS: Is ‘sustainable tourism’ fuelling ‘sustainable exploitation’? (‘Virtuous’ or ‘Vicious’ Cycle?) Are we exacerbating inequalities? How? If we are not part of the solution, are we contributing to the problem? Why is Equity NOT recognized as a fundamental sustainability principle IN PRACTICE? (who stands to gain the most from this ‘blind spot’?) What are the consequences of ignoring the Equity Principle in Sustainable Development and ‘Sustainable Tourism’? VALUES in ST: What values? Whose values? Who stands to gain? Who loses?

    19. REFERENCES Beder, S. 1996. The Nature of Sustainable Development, 2nd edn. Scribe Publications, Australia. Dale, A. 2001. At the Edge: Sustainable Development in the 21st century. UBC Press, Canada. Daly, H. 2002. Reconciling the economics of social equity and environmental sustainability. Population and Environment, 24 (1):47-53. Dresner, S. 2002. The Principles of Sustainability. Earthscan Publications, London. Farrell, B. and Twinning-Ward, L. 2005. Seven steps towards sustainability: tourism in the context of new knowledge. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 13 (2):109-122. Fennell, D. and Ebert, K. 2004. Tourism and the precautionary principle. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 12 (6):461-479. Holcome, S. 1995. Managing to Empower: The Grameen Bank’s Experience of Poverty Alleviation. Zed Books, London. Hunter, C.1997. Sustainable tourism as an adaptive paradigm. Annals of Tourism Research, 24 (4), 850-867. Jacobs, M. 1999. Sustainable development as a contested concept. In A. Dodson (ed.) Fairness and Futurity, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp.21-45. Macbeth, J. 2005. Towards an ethics platform for tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 32 (4), 962-984. ____. 1997. Tourism and the District of Omeo: Final Report of the Omeo District Sustainable Community Project (Abridged). Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. Mog, J. 2004. Struggling with Sustainability –A Comparative Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Development Programs. World Development, 32 (12), 2139-2160. Robinson. J. and Tinker, J. 1996. Reconciling Ecological, Economic and Social Imperatives: Towards an Analytical Framework. Sustainable Development Research Institute, University of British Columbia. Paper prepared for the International Development Research Centre, April 1996. [Online]. Available: http://www.sdri.ubc.ca/documents/Reconciling_Ecological.pdf [2004, August 29]

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