02636cam a22003974a 4500 718 The World Bank 20260707185057.0 m d cr cn||||||||| 020129s1995 dcu o i001 0 eng 0821333488 14.99 USD 9780821333488 10.1596/0-8213-3348-8 (The World Bank)718 166205 137457 Cox Edwards, Alejandra 204411 Labor and Economic Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean [electronic resource] : Alejandra Cox Edwards Washington, D.C. : The World Bank, 1995 1 online resource (40 p.) Over the past decade, most countries in the Latin America and Caribbean Region have stabilized their economies and lowered barriers to international trade. Many of the policies aimed at reducing poverty and tackling inequality in the 1960-1980 period were well intentioned, but the region made little or no progress in improving income distribution. With the recent shift toward market orientation and openness to international trade, these countries will need a new approach to labor policy as well as different instruments for addressing income distribution goals. This report gives special attention to four areas of labor policy: 1) change from direct government intervention in wage determination and strict seniority rules to a system that rewards effort, high productivity, and good management within a framework that relies on voluntary negotiation of working conditions between workers and firms; 2) replacement of job security legislation by a more effective mechanism that protects workers when they change jobs; 3) careful design of mandatory contributions to social security and other programs in order to minimize the distortionary effect of labor taxes; and 4) redirecting of government subsidies for training and education to the demand side and targeting to those who cannot afford to pay. Description based on print version record. Debt Markets Finance and Financial Sector Development Financial Literacy Health, Nutrition and Population 122488 Labor Markets 204250 Labor Policies 204255 Population Policies 204163 Social Protections and Labor Cox Edwards, Alejandra 204411 Print Version: 9780821333488 World Bank e-Library. http://elibrary.worldbank.org/content/book/9780821333488 EBK 166205 137457