Critical Takes Newsletter No 2
Newsletter: 7 September 2024
Monopoly power, multinationals at the UN
This month, Harris Gleckman cautioned that, as the United Nations’ agenda-setting Summit for the Future approaches, the doctrine of “multistakeholderism” is giving undue influence to multinationals in global debates, partly at the expense of states.
Nicholas Shaxson of the Balanced Economy Project laid out the case for using competition law to break up the monopoly power of the largest corporations, as US regulators are aiming to do.
Stan de Spiegelaere of the UNI Europa trade union federation explained that concentrated corporate power is bad for workers’ wages and conditions and the response to this power must include strong rights to collective bargaining.
Interesting takes in other places
A long read from Maria Farrell and Robin Berjon, published by Noema Magazine in April, argues that the tech giants have harvested the digital wildlands of the early Internet to create an extractive monoculture. Now, like nature, the internet needs to be “rewilded”.
On a similar topic, here again is Parminder Jeet Singh’s essay for Critical Takes on how to “break open” the power of Big Tech and give that power to smaller firms, states and citizens.
Worker Info Exchange warns of further risks for drivers’ rights as Uber, the giant global taxi firm, responds to slower growth and more competition.
Common Wealth argues for reforming corporate governance rules to redress the bias towards quick shareholder payouts. This one looks at the UK and has wider relevance.
Would you like to write for Critical Takes?
Critical Takes is looking for analysis and comment on what to do about corporate power, by and for people from civil society. Topics of interest at the moment include:
· Multinationals in the era of climate shocks and geopolitical tensions.
· How might corporate capture of the democratic process be rolled back?
If you’d like to write for Critical Takes, please read this first.
Until next month, good luck with your work!
The Editor