Introduction
“Navigating challenging times. The role of employment relations in addressing the problems caused by political uncertainty and the effects of Brexit, Covid-19, migration, technology and climate change on the workforce and labour standards”.
We live in a state of uncertainty and multiple crises, causing a slowdown in economic development and widespread social hardship, especially affecting key workers working in sectors that are essential for societies to function. Solving these interrelated problems requires greater dialogue and cooperation among private and public actors and industrial relations institutions at all levels for better coordination. The goal of the 14th ILERA Conference is to bring together academics, social partners, and policymakers to discuss common employment challenges and strategic ways how to overcome them.
To combat interrelated challenges, new forms of collaboration among diverse actors will be essential to help workers and make progress in economic, environmental, and social policy areas. National industrial relations systems and the characteristic of collective bargaining actors in different sectors are crucial factors in facilitating coordination and cooperation. Industrial relations systems vary in the extent to which they can protect different workforce groups, especially atypical workers, highlighting the importance of human rights and the legal perspectives on labour regulation to defend basic employment rights.
The Covid pandemic has revealed pre-existing inequalities and gaps in the protection of some categories of workers and workplaces. Vulnerable workers are often women, disabled workers, young or older workers, migrant workers, or workers from ethnic minorities working in industries where atypical forms of employment, characterised by reduced social protection, are widespread. These workforce groups benefit most from coordinated efforts by industrial relations actors at European and national levels aimed at reducing in-work poverty by introducing minimum wage standards.
At the workplace level, actions taken by human resources (HR) as responses to new and challenging developments often depend on whether they are seen as opportunities or threats. Urgent, immediate responses often lead to unilateral workplace restructuring, weakening employment relations and the efficacy of collective action. When the crisis is seen as an opportunity, HR can embed social and environmental sustainability in organisations. However, implementing new technology to combat climate change and innovate work and the work environment often falls outside union-management relations.
The ILERA Conference aims to shed light on the different responses to the crisis used by industrial relations actors, including short-term and long-term and coordinated and uncoordinated responses at different levels – sectoral, national and international levels – in fixing problems, protecting the workforce, and working conditions.
We welcome contributions that stimulate dialogue between academics from different disciplines, social partners, policymakers, and practitioners. Submissions to the five different Track Themes can include empirical and conceptual contributions from various disciplines, including industrial relations, management, sociology, law, economics, psychology, and political science, and research at individual, organizational, national, and international levels.
We particularly encourage submissions that incorporate intersectional research in gender and excluded groups, as well as studies that address Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and sustainability goals aimed at reducing inequality. These contributions are vital for fostering a comprehensive understanding of how diverse identities and systemic inequalities intersect and impact various social and organisational outcomes.
Download the Call for Papers here: