Working conditions in a global context reveal a dramatic reality for workers in the Global South. In conjunction with the prevailing process of capital accumulation and economic growth and the new forms of poverty that accompany it, some contributions to the current discourse paint a picture of an unregulated and unregulable world of labor relations and a powerless labor movement. Either the weaknesses and gaps in cross-border labor regulation are used to outline an almost insoluble problem, or a return to the supposed salvation of the regulatory options of the nation state is called for. The reaction to this view often leads to an exchange of blows and results in a dichotomous debate. Instead, Dr. Patrick Witzak (Chair of Sociology of Digital Transformation) sheds light on the historical complexity of national to transnational labour regulation, from the establishment of the first international trade union secretariats to modern multi-stakeholder agreements. Based on a historical analysis, he argues that a gradual institutionalization can be observed over 130 years, revealing a complex transnational regime-like governance architecture. Based on the Chicago School's ecology approach, a theoretical framework is developed to capture this complex structure. It is shown that despite the expansion of governance structures, there is a lack of legitimized control, sanction and enforcement mechanisms to comprehensively counteract labour rights violations.

The full text of the article can be accessed here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0023656X.2024.2380849