This collection investigates how neoliberal economic reforms and globalization have fundamentally altered labor relations and the bargaining power of workers within developing and transitional economies. Editors Alex Fernández Jilberto and Marieke Riethof compile a series of academic essays that examine the intersection of state policy, international market pressures, and local labor movements. By analyzing diverse regional case studies, the authors argue that the transition toward market-oriented economies has frequently resulted in the erosion of traditional labor protections and the fragmentation of collective bargaining structures. The text provides a framework for understanding the socio-political consequences of economic restructuring in the Global South and post-socialist states.

Experts identify this collection as a significant contribution to the field of political economy, particularly for its focus on the uneven outcomes of globalization. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous, evidence-based approach taken by the contributors.