More bad news from the World Bank
Following on from our recent post on the World Bank and climate change comes more bad news from the Bank. In the World Bank’s flagship 2019 World Development Report, entitled the Changing Nature of Work, the Bank argues for wide-ranging deregulation of labour; deemed necessary to prepare countries for the changing nature of work. The report sets out a nice cosy capitalist future under which firms will be relieved of the burden of contributing to social security, have the flexibility to pay wages as low as they think fit and have the power to fire people at will.
Why the World Banks announcement that they are making $200 billion available to help fight climate change may not be such good news after all!
The World Bank announced this week that it is to make about $200bn available to fund action on climate change. In making the announcement, Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank, stated: “This is about putting countries and communities in charge of building a safer, more climate-resilient future.” The announcement has been greeted with universal approval with many arguing that the Bank is taking a strong lead and sending a strong signal to private sector financiers.
Hoisting the “Knowledge Bank” on Its Own Petard: The World Bank and the “Double Crisis” of African Universities
George Caffentzis, of Midnight Notes and the Committee for Academic Freedom in Africa, on the World Bank and the 'double crisis of Africa universities'.
Bangladesh; life's a gas! $100 a month employee grabs 'bonus' of $145 million
The extent of the corruption discovered within the Bangladeshi gas supply industry is astonishing even the anti-corruption investigators (see earlier story).