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Track one

Industrial Relations Adapting to Changing Times

Industrial relations has undergone significant transformations in recent years, and the world is experiencing economic and social instability that is reminiscent of the 1970s. High inflation, energy crises, and rising unemployment have created a turbulent environment. This instability has brought industrial relations back into focus, with renewed attention on collective wage bargaining and industrial conflicts, such as strikes, to address economic challenges. Trade unions are adapting to changing times by exploring new strategies for organising and mobilising workers. The rise of the platform and gig economy and new technologies has significantly impacted industrial relations. Platform work and digital labour markets present challenges for traditional labour relations frameworks, and employment relations have increasingly shifted towards more flexible and precarious forms of work. Furthermore, environmental and climate change and the transition to a green economy require new skills and job roles, impacting labour markets and employment relations.

Against this background and despite all the challenges, there is clearly a renewed interest in academia and among policymakers in collective bargaining and worker representation. Trade unions and employer organizations are adapting to the changing landscape. For example, there is an emphasis on expanding collective bargaining to cover non-traditional workers in flexible working arrangements and remote work. Employment relations are increasingly focused on promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and addressing gender pay gaps, racial and ethnic disparities, and other forms of inequality. Although these are global phenomena, European institutions play a crucial role in shaping industrial relations. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives in countering these challenging trends remains a topic of discussion.   

The field of industrial relations faces several theoretical and methodological challenges. Comparative and international studies are particularly valuable in providing insights into how countries address similar challenges. This proposed track would encourage submissions with the following sub-themes, among others.

  • To what extent do international and European institutions and organisations shape employment relations and social policies in the context of transnational competition and the fragmentation of work, including traditional jobs and the new workspaces of the gig and platform economy? Under what conditions and why?
  • How do employment relations and social policies influence gender (in)equality within the context of transnational competition and fragmented workspaces?
  • How do EU policies and regulations, such as the European Pillar of Social Rights and the establishment of the European Labour Authority, aim to protect workers’ rights and promote fair working conditions in the face of de-industrialisation, productivity challenges, and low-carbon transition?
  • What types of EU and/or national regulations provide the most robust models for protecting workers’ jobs and wages and ensuring labour and social protections in a transnational context marked by risks such as pandemics, climate change, migration, and employment fragmentation?
  • Will the recent wave of industrial action redefine power relations between capital and labour, and between labour and the state?
  • What is the impact of Brexit on industrial relations in the UK and the rest of Europe?