Three research papers have been the outcome of an ITF/FES project entitled Developing Trade Union Policy and Alternatives to Neo-Liberal Transport Restructuring that was aimed at building understanding and developing strategies about global transport restructuring, and the role of the international financial institutions in engineering it.

Brendan Martin, a consultant, coordinated the project and is the author of the three research papers which include:

• International Institutions and Transport Liberalisation and Privatisation
• The World Bank & Labour Restructuring - Ghana
  
• Globalisation on Wheels

All three papers can be found at the end of this webpage.

International Institutions and Transport Liberalisation and Privatisation

This paper focuses on explains keyconcepts relating to transport restructuring and the various forms they take in practice  including privatisation, concenssioning, contracting, divestiture etc and also institutions involved in shaping transport restructuring such as the World Bank and its sister organisations and the WTO.

The paper also outlines the policy processes and procedures resulting in the actual effects on the transport industry. Finally the paper illustrates the impact of the World Bank approach as had on various the transport sectors including rail, maritime, road etc. 

Globalisation on Wheels: How the World Bank is restructuring transport and how unions can respond.

 
This paper was developed as part of the ITF/FES project on neoliberal transport restructuring and trade union alternatives and is the third and final research paper from the project.

The paper looks at the World Bank's transport policies and projects, and their links to its trade facilitation work, and critically discusses the Bank's claim that they have contributed positively to economic development and poverty reduction. It also discusses how transport workers’ unions are responding, and at how lessons might be learnt from their experiences.

Sections 1 and 2 of the paper outline the World Bank's transport and trade policies and its changing transport strategy, while Section 3 challenges its claims for their positive effects, focusing particularly on privatisation. In Sections 4-7, the rationale for the Bank's transport strategy-that more international trade leads to more economic growth, which leads in turn to less poverty -- is critically examined.

Section 8 discusses trade union experiences of dealing with World Bank transport policies and projects. Section 9 draws together the paper's argument and outlines an alternative approach to transport restructuring for human development. Finally, Section 10 makes some recommendations about further work to build on the project.
 
For a copy of Globalisation on Wheels and previous papers please contact education@itf.org.uk or download a copy from below.