9058009887

CHAPTFR TTT

40

86230

even hoangeneoiiR, rctorr cnipeting syRt.fiiR    (reglonal,

Rentorial , nat.iona I ) . Tt aiaply iiplipR t.hat t.he reper ctiaa 1 ona t.hat. t.he standards have upon t.he rnlatWe coapet. 11.1 yenas8 of syat.fiiR ara auoh 88 not. to prodiina. aajor iibalanoRR In tbe RxchangfiR of coaaodlt.lea t.hat. t.ake . place aiong thea .

Wit.htn aanh syst.ei t.he at.andarda can be saintained ro long as at.rongly abared -or 1 apoRfid- aonlal or legał ooaaon rnlea are reapect.ed, and ao long aa fraa-r1dtng . 1 a repreaaed. Tb 1 a lapllea, In ot.ber worda, t.hat produot.lon coata Inclnde a sbare of what. we can cali 'aolldarlt.y coata* -or ao 1 1 dar 1 t.y hlll'-t.hat. ta accept.ed and doea not alt.er oowpat.1t.1ve equ1l1hr1a ao long aa all of t.be cowpet.it.tve agenta hear t.hew iore or leaa howogeneoua1y.

Tb1a klnd of eqn 1 1 1 br 1 na ainng coiintrlea ia obvionaly wnch ■ ore f ragi le, and 1t. la iore eaally kept. wben t.be levela of International t.radea are relat.1vely alnor and aa long aa t.rade balancea are effect.1vely regulat.ed t.brough approprlat.e coordinat ion 1 nstrnient.R . However , • t.be poaaihle help of coimon aoclal and cni turai concerna, or nora In generał of aoclal and polltlcal valnea, abould not be overlooked.

The lowering of t.be 'aolldarlt.y bill* la rewardlng for each of t.be 1nvolved ayatewa (or agenta wlt.hln t.be a a we ayat.ew), «Ince t.boae which aucceed 1n do Ing tt ftrat. co u Id galn tn relat.1ve coapet. 11.1 veneaa . Moreover, g1ven an tnlttal diaeqn11ihrtnw, t ta weanlng t.enda to be wagntfted aa t.be 1nt.er-exohange awong ayateaa growa, relnforctng t.hna t.he preaaurea to abtft. to aggreaatve bebavtoural pat.terna, baaed upon tbe undercntt 1 ng of t.be aolldarlt.y bill t.hey bear. Notlce t.hat., once t.bla coapet.1t.1on baa begun , t.he ot.ber ayat.eaa (or agenta) have no ot.ber oho 1 oe t.han followlng t.be aaae pat.terna, and t.herefore ret.altat. Ing.

Thla la what. appeara t.o have bappened alnce t.he Sevent.1es at. t.he International level . Tn fact. tbe aoat. 1 nd u a t.r 1 a 1 1 7.ed coiintrlea aoved along a pat.h of progreaa1ve deregu 1 a1.1 on of t.belr labo ur aarket.a, dla aa nt. ling t.hetr welfare ayat.eaa and labo u r at.andarda.

Thla gaae, which waa begun by governaent.a , which hel1eved t.hey could contr tbiit.e In t.bla way to keep under cont.rol 1nflat.1on aa we 11 aa ext.ernal labalancea, and by eaployera, wbo bad ev1dent. veat.ed Int.ereat.a In dotng ao, ended up in 1nvolv1ng even t.rade unlona, ao powerful la tbe at.rengt.b of cultiiral at.ereot.ypea (aee oiir 1985 Raport).

Tbe natura of nega 1.1 ve-aua gaae of aiioh pat.terna of 1nt.eract.1ona ta ohvtoua, na we not.tced before, once one put.a biaaelf 1n a ayatealc perapect.1ve. Tbe percept.1on of t.bla, bowever, ta unf o rt.una te 1 y not aufftctent. to revert. tbe preaent.ly prevatl1ng att.1t.ndea, g1ven t.he apparent cert.alnt.y of tbe taaedtat.e gatna earned t.brough t.be cont.1nuat.ton of aelflah ad jnat.went.a , t.ha conven1ence of free-rldlng, t.be un 1 1 ke 1 1 bood and tbe dtfflcult.y of reachtng cooperat.1ve aolut.lona, and flnally g1ven, t.he lack of 1aaed1at.e pollt.tcal