At a Forum for Responsible Globalisation in Lyons this week, trade unions, alongside others, are presenting their views on what is wrong with the phenomenon and what can be done about it. This is not exactly headline news, with at first sight little prospect of more than a ritual moan about the ways of the world. However, from Lyons, the world’s trade unions will go on to Vienna to found the International Trade Union Confederation – the most representative and united trade union international in history. Many of globalisation’s problems have their roots in the world of work. So it is reasonable to expect that some of the answers will come from there too.

This comes at a time when even the most ardent cheerleaders of globalisation are asking themselves whether all is well on its uneven playing field. Those unmoved by the flagrant social injustices of the global economy can still be concerned that the collateral damage it inflicts may bring with it the seeds of global insecurity. Or that the large numbers excluded from benefits accruing to the better off might decide to use their democratic prerogatives to blow the whistle and bring the game to an end – or at least to rewrite its rules.