International Employment Relations Network List

(IERN-L)

A Miscellany of International Employment Relations News

Miscellany 13, 25 April 2012

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Access to ADAPT International Bulletin at:

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Contents

Main Stories

Australia: Union heads to court over 'targeted Toyota sackings'

Nigeria: NLC Asks FG to Address Oransaye’s Report

South Africa: COSATU NW continues with its rolling mass action

South Africa: COSATU to strike against e-tolls

In Brief

Canada: CLC’s Hassan Yussuff to head TUCA

Colombia: Collective bargaining in process at Carrefour Colombia

Ghana: 2012 May Day Theme

ILO: Employment for Stability and Socio-Economic Progress in North Africa

Kenya: PS labour Beatrice Kituyi Summoned

Nigeria: Cut Corruption, Not People’s Wages or Welfare

Singapore: Beefing up the Employment Act

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Sweden: Handels says agreement secured for Swedish commerce workers

Publications

Calls for Papers, Conferences, Seminars, Symposia

Other Sites

Awards  

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Main Stories

Australia: Union heads to court over 'targeted Toyota sackings'

IR/Australia/Toyota/Retrenchment/Victimisation

The Australian, 18 April 2012 at http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/industrial-

relations/union-heads-to-court-over-targeted-toyota-sackings/story-fn59noo3-

1226330764107

MORE than one-third of the workers sacked by Toyota will challenge their dismissals,

while their union will take separate legal action, claiming the car giant targeted injured

workers and shop stewards when cutting jobs.

As Gillard government ministers expressed concern at how Toyota had made the 350 workers

redundant, union leaders claimed the firm allowed security guards "to march in like Nazis"

and round the workers up in a primitive cattle call before they were sacked.

Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten said Toyota's decision to rate workers before

sacking them risked stigmatising employees as slackers when he believed the job cuts were

because of the impact of the high dollar.

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union said while 88 workers had volunteered for

redundancy, 90 of the 262 staff made compulsorily redundant had decided to challenge their

sackings.

Ian Jones, the national secretary of the union's vehicle division, attacked the decision to use a

large number of security guards at its Altona plant before ferrying individual workers in mini-

2

vans to a nearby reception centre and sacking them. "They have had the (security guards) on

rooftops, on top of cars. They have had everything except snipers," Mr Jones said.

"They have marched in like Nazis, swept our members up, put them into their vans, taken

them across the road to their holding pens and treated them like cattle."

Toyota assessed the sacked workers on the basis of their adherence to company values, attire,

punctuality and safety record.

While the cuts represented one in 10 jobs at the plant, Mr Jones said 16 of the union's 30 shop

stewards and heath and safety officers had lost jobs. The union had been told staff who made

WorkCover claims or raised work injury-related issues were targeted.

Mr Jones said the unions would take legal action -- potentially in the Federal Court -- on

behalf of workers it believed it had been targeted because of their union activity or injury

history.

A Toyota spokeswoman denied employees had been singled out, or that the use of security

guards was heavy-handed. Under the agreement with the union, employees are entitled to

request Fair Work Australia to determine whether their redundancies were appropriate.

Cuong Luu, sacked yesterday after almost eight years, said he would challenge the decision

as he believed he was a highly productive worker. "I haven't been treated well," he said.

"There are people who have been working here for 15 or 20 years . . . to treat the workers like

this, it's not fair."

Assembly worker Edwin, who declined to give a surname, said he was sacked for being a

union member and making a WorkCover claim over an elbow injury. "They don't think union

members contribute," he said. "I don't believe in the assessment they gave me . . . I'm

confused and I'm lost. I have a mortgage and three kids; I've got to try and keep our heads

above water."

Wayne Swan said he was "quite concerned" about the treatment of the workers.

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Nigeria: NLC Asks FG to Address Oransaye’s Report

IR/Nigeria/NLC/Government

ThisDay Live, 19 April 2012 at http://www.thisdayonline.com

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The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Wednesday asked the Federal Government to address

the recommendations raised in the Stephen Oransaye-led Presidential Committee report on

the rationalisation of Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies, in order to

avoid economic crisis in the country.

Acting President of the NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said the report, not properly handled “may lead

to massive loss of jobs which will have disastrous consequences for the country.” The report

had thrown up serious labour and social challenges, which the NLC said if not looked into,

would lead to loss of jobs in the country.

The recommendations included the reduction of 263 statutory commissions to 161 and the

scrapping of 38 agencies among others.

The statement also disclosed that at the inauguration of the committee, the NLC drew the

Presidency’s attention to the fact that the number of workers who work in these organisations

and those who may be affected by the outcome, “would be Congress members and that it was

therefore necessary for the NLC to be represented in the Committee.

“Apparently, the Federal Government was not persuaded about this, now that the Report is

out and a government team to produce a white paper has been constituted, the NLC finds it

imperative to raise the social and Labour issues that will result.

“It is necessary to first clarify that the NLC believes that the cost of governance needs to be

reduced although we think this has to do mainly with government expenditure on political

appointees and hangers on.”

We however believe that parastatals and agencies like the FRSC and EFCC which have

proven records of success should not necessarily be scrapped or merged,” Ajaero said.

NLC said if report properly addressed, job losses may be inevitable in a few cases, and

therefore demanded that special focus be placed on the social and Labour implications.

“We know that each worker caters for a minimum of six persons and that each job loss may

automatically translate to eight Nigerians being pushed further down the poverty line into

hunger.

“To avoid the social and Labour issues and crisis that may occur as a result of the Report, the

white paper and Government actions, Congress appeals to the Presidency to invite Labour at

this stage for discussions on the issue,” the statement said.

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South Africa: COSATU NW continues with its rolling mass action

IR/South Africa/ COSATU/Mass Action/Communities/Media

Cosatu, 18 April 2012 at http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=6041

The Congress of South African Trade Unions in the North West is continuing with its rolling

mass action program against labour brokers, the open road tolling system, corruption and

poor services to the communities.

This program is part of the national campaign as adopted by the central committee last and

programmatised by the CEC

COSATU NW on 19 April 2012 will march to the Moses Kotane local municipality in

demand of service for the people of zone 8 in Mogwase who were insulted when they

demanded these services.

COSATU will also continue with its planned night vigil at the Swartruggens toll plaza on 20-

21 April 2012 which will demand that the toll fee be reduced to R20 and this will be preceded

by the march from MMACON in Mahikeng to the department of health in demand of good

quality public health to the people of the North west including the students conditions that

has been with the department of health for years.

COSATU has also planned a mass action against racism in Zeerust which is now postponed

to the following week.

As COSATU we are not acting as an opposition party but we just demand the better life for

all which we were promised in 1994 when we voted for the first time and in all election

campaigns.

COSATU believes that the people of this country did not struggle to be over taxed as we see

happening with the e-tolling, where those who cannot register will pay six times more than

those who can register. For us this means that people who do not reside in Gauteng should no

longer go to Gauteng and this become another Group Areas Act.

COSATU calls on the masses our people in the country fight against this reverse colonialism

or reverse apartheid.

We are calling on the media to focus on real issues that affect workers and the communities,

when the factions of councillors and their police, who are in the pocket of the capitalists and

5

corrupt councillors, refuse permissions with no reason. The media must be worried also that

illegal marches are encouraged by the attitude of the police, under the instructions of the

factions of the municipalities, for their continuation of corruption and stealing from the poor.

It is so disappointing to hear the journalists or the media persons representing the views of

those who oppressed the poor people and being personal. We are appealing as the federation

in the NW that the Radio Motsweding journalist who is doing Boresetse every morning no

longer does interviews with any COSATU leader due to his personal approach. He is not

focusing on matters affecting the working class or the poor communities that are affected. He

is not interested on why the action is taken without permission granted. He is not prepared to

listen to the response. What he wants is to get his own faction hear that he has exposed

certain individual leaders of the federation.

The statement released by COSATU local was very clear, with reasons why COSATU is

intervening on community issues. We have done so in many communities in the province and

the same man has not argued that. What is special about Moses Kotane? Why is he not asking

about issues that relate to corruption, poor service and the conditions of those communities in

that area?

It must be clear to the media that we are a federation of unions which consists of workers

who are members of the communities. Most of the poor people who are affected by poor

service delivery are our members who do not qualify for the loan to build houses, such as the

same journalist who continues representing the views of the rich people.

Leading the illegal action is the same as the municipality and their corrupt police refusing to

allow workers and the communities to enjoy their rights, as they follow the procedures as per

the Gathering Act. What Radio Motsweding should have done was to check if the procedure

was followed, not to personalize the matter to the provincial secretary of the federation.

This is not the first time; he has done so many times, in particular when dealing with issues of

corruption and racism.

We want to be very clear now, here, today: the man must no longer interview any COSATU

leader. We are prepared to continue with our interaction with the media but not with a

journalist who is in the pocket of some factions in the province or in the municipalities. We

are asking the media once again not to be told what to say during its interviews with us. We

are respecting the media; we also requesting to be respected as the federation.

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South Africa: COSATU to strike against e-tolls

IR/South Africa/COSATU/e-tolls/transport costs

Cosatu, 18 April 2012 at http://www.cosatu.org.za/show.php?ID=6038

The Congress of South African Trade Unions is mobilizing its two million members for the

mother of all protests against the act of highway robbery set to be committed from 30 April

2012 - the Gauteng e-tolls!

We are confident that we will be joined by many thousands more angry residents and

motorists who support our demand for the scrapping of these tolls and the end to privatisation

and commodification of our public services, which includes our transport network.

Popular opposition to the tolls is overwhelming, in particular to the latest statements by

Sanral, threatening motorists who do not register for e-tags with having to pay a punitive rate

to use the toll roads, as high as R2 per kilometre, nearly six times higher than the rate for

those who have registered.

Having being forced to concede that buying an e-tag is not a legal requirement, they are now

trying to bully and blackmail motorists into registering.

These threats will have the exact opposite effect. They will infuriate people and make them

even more determined to follow COSATU’s advice not to register and not to buy an e-tag.

COSATU has not stopped campaigning to stop the tolls. On 7 March millions of workers

went on strike and tens of thousands took to the streets in protest marches to demand the

banning of the e-tolls and labour brokering.

Since then we have been engaging with the African National Congress to reach agreement on

alternative solutions to the funding of roads. These talks are continuing and we shall strive

right up to the last minute to have the tolls scrapped or at least postponed for a proper public

debate.

Meanwhile the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance is lodging an application to the North

Gauteng High Court to have the e-tolling interdicted. Should that case fail, COSATU is ready

to take legal action of its own to get the tolls interdicted.

In the end however, it is the pressure of the masses which will force government to back

down. People power has brought down governments in North Africa; it can surely stop this

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assault on our living standards. Our aim is to make the tolls uncollectible and force the

government and Sanral to find more equitable ways to pay for road improvements.

The federation last night, 16 April 2012, issued a notice under Section 77 of the Labour

Relations Act enabling workers to engage in protected protest action, which will include:

Rallies, marches, demonstrations, pickets, placard demonstrations, and siyalalas at or

near the offices of Sanral and the Department of Transport, both provincial and

national from 23 April 2012.

Engagement of motorists and other members of the public to inform them of the

reason for the protest action and to persuade motorists not to buy e-tags;

A national stayaway or socioecomic strike on 30 April 2012.

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In Brief

Canada: CLC’s Hassan Yussuff to head TUCA

IR/Canada/Americas/TUCA

CLC at http://www.canadianlabour.ca/national/news/clc-s-hassan-yussuff-head-tuca-elected-

president-hemispheric-labour-organization

OTTAWA – Hassan Yussuff of the Canadian Labour Congress, has been elected to a four-

year term as president of the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA). Yussuff,

who is the CLC’s Secretary-Treasurer, was elected on April 20 at a TUCA convention

occurring in Iguazu Falls, Brazil. 

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Colombia: Collective bargaining in process at Carrefour Colombia

IR/Colombia/ Collective Bargaining/Carrefour

UNI, 18 April 2012 at http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/uni.nsf/pages/homepageEn?

OpenDocument&exURL=http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/UNINews.nsf/

vwLkpByIdHome/695336C71EF7AE52C12579E40069A1E5?OpenDocument

Last March 5 Carrefour Colombia Workers’ Union presented their first list of demands in

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connection with the subscription of a collective agreement.

The list includes issues such as wages, paid holidays, meals, job security, observance of

due process in disciplinary proceedings, housing and occupational health. The collective

agreement currently in force (which was not the result of a genuine negotiation with

workers) is the starting point.

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Ghana: 2012 May Day Theme

IR/Ghana/Unions/May Day Teme

GTUC at http://www.ghanatuc.org/upcoming-events accessed 19 April 2012

The Theme for this year’s May Day Celebration is Elections 2012: The Role of Workers

in Securing Peaceful and Fair Elections.

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ILO: Employment for Stability and Socio-Economic Progress in North

Africa

ER/ILO/North Africa

ILO, 17 April 2012 at

http://www.ilo.org/addisababa/information-resources/news/WCMS_175767/lang--en/

index.htm

The ILO has developed a sub-regional strategy for North Africa entitled "Employment for

Stability and Socio-Economic Progress", which represents the ILO’s contribution to the

wider Regional Response Strategy and Framework for Action established by the United

Nations Development Group for the MENA region.

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Kenya: PS labour Beatrice Kituyi Summoned

IR/Kenya/Tripartism/Airports Strike

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COTU (K) accessed 19 April 2012 at http://www.cotu-kenya.org/press-release/ps-labour-

beatrice-kituyi-summoned

PS labour Beatrice Kituyi summoned before the Parliamentary Committee on labour together

with the Secretary General COTU (K) Mr. Francis Atwoli and the General secretary Aviation

Allied Workers Union Mr. Barasa, over the Kenya Airports Authority unionized workers

strike.

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Nigeria: Cut Corruption, Not People’s Wages or Welfare

IR/ER/ Unionism/Peak Body

NLC, 16 April at http://www.nlcng.org/search_details.php?id=323

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) notes statements in the past few days by Government officials

which point to an intent to further increase the price of fuel and deepen the poverty of the people. The

NLC declares that the depletion of the nation’s funds is by the Government and not the people and

that the primary problem is the massive corruption in Government.

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Singapore: Beefing up the Employment ActIRE/Singapore/Labour Legislation

Straits Times Newsletter 25 April 2012 at

http://www.straitstimes.com/PrimeNews/Story/STIStory_792385.html

JUST four years after its last update, the Employment Act is up for another revamp. The

Manpower Ministry (MOM) has pledged to consult unions and employers in its review of the

law this year.

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Sweden: Handels says agreement secured for Swedish commerce workers

IR/Sweden/Collective Bargaining/Collective Agreement/Retail and Wholesale Sectors

UNI, 13 April 2012 at http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/uni.nsf/pages/homepageEn?

Opendocument&exURL=http://www.uniglobalunion.org/Apps/UNINews.nsf/

vwLkpByIdHome/9C792591890A13A2C12579DF004E4C97?OpenDocument

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UNI affiliate Handels, the Commercial Employees' Union in Sweden, and the Swedish trade

federation Svensk Handel concluded a new agreement for employees in the retail and

wholesale sectors on Thursday. The agreement includes the commitment to meet the union’s

claim for equal pay. The agreement provides wage increases of SEK 710 for shop workers

and SEK 665 for warehouse employees. The agreement runs for 12 months.

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Publications 2012

Employment Trends unit of the ILO Employment Sector (2012) Global Employment Trends,

Download at http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/global-employment-trends/

WCMS_171571/lang--en/index.htm ISBN 978-92-2-124924-5

The annual Global Employment Trends report offers the latest global and regional

information and projections on several indicators of the labour market, including

employment, unemployment, working poverty and vulnerable employment. It also presents a

number of policy considerations in light of the new challenges facing policy makers in the

coming year.

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Pierluigi Rausei, Michele Tiraboschi Work: a reform in midstream (ADAPT 2012 @

University Press) access at http://www.bollettinoadapt.it/acm-on-line/Home.html

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26th AIRAANZ Conference 2012: Re-Organising Work, Association of Industrial Relations

Academics of Australia and New Zealand, published papers, ed. Robin Price, Brisbane,

Queensland University of Technology.

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Pocock, B., Skinner, N and Williams, P. (2012) Time Bomb: Work, Rest and Play in

Australia Today, NewSouth Books, may be ordered at

http://www.newsouthbooks.com.au/isbn/9781742232959.htm

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Baird, M., Hancock, K. and Isaac, J. eds. (2012) Work and Employment Relations: An Era

of Change, The Federation Press, ISBN: 9781862878501 may be ordered at www.federation

press.com.au

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Bamber, G. J., Lansbury, R. D. and Wailes, N. (2012) International and Comparative

Employment Relations: Globalisation and Change, Allen and Unwin, ISBN:

9781742370651 may be ordered from academic@allenandunwin.com

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European Commission (2012) White Paper on Pensions (16/02/2012). White Paper on

Pensions .

This document is the follow up of the Green Paper 'Towards adequate, sustainable and safe

European pension systems' published in July 2010. Its purpose was to initiate a European

debate on the key challenges concerning pensions, the main question being: how can the EU

best support the efforts of Member States to ensure adequate, sustainable and safe pensions

for their citizens both now and in the future. On the basis of the responses to the open

consultation launched by the Green Paper, the White Paper identifies the most important

measures to be taken forward in this respect at the European level.

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International Labour Review, Vol. 150 (3-4)

Posting of workers, EU enlargement and the globalization of trade in services, by S.

LALANNE

Job attitudes, behaviours and well-being among different types of temporary workers in

Europe and Israel, by E.J. GRACIA, J. RAMOS, J. M. PEIRÓ, A. CABALLER and B.

SORA

Primary school student employment and academic achievement in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador

and Peru, by D. POST

Trade union influence in Spanish manufacturing firms, by C. GARCÍA-OLAVERRI and

E.HUERTA

Special feature: DECENT WORK IN GLOBAL PRODUCTION NETWORKS

Decent work in global production networks: Framing the policy debate, by S.

BARRIENTOS, F. MAYER, J. PICKLES and A. POSTHUMA

Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: A new paradigm for a

changing world, by S. BARRIENTOS, G. GEREFFI and A. ROSSI

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Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: Problems of theory and

measurement, by W. MILBERG and D. WINKLER

Further reading

Notes and debates

Documents and communications

Book reviews

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Japan Labor Review, Vol. 9 (1) Winter 2012

Special Edition: ‘Labor Relations in Japan’

Access at http://www.jil.go.jp/english/JLR.htm

Introduction

Articles

Japan's Labor Unions: Past, Present, Future

Unionization of Non-Regular Workers by Enterprise Unions

The Functions and Limits of Enterprise Unions in Individual Labor Disputes

The Current Status and Significance of General Unions:   Concerning the Resolution of

Individual Labor Disputes General Unions and Community Unions, and Japanese

Labor Law

Article Based on Research Report

The Scheduled Increase in the Pension Age a JILPT Research Activities and the Effect

of Job   Security Measures for the Elderly in Supporting Their Subsistence

JILPT Research Activities

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Calls for Papers, Conferences, Seminars, Symposia

International:  The E-Journal of International and Comparative Labour Studies

The following is a list of indicative, but far from exhaustive, topic areas: - collective and

individual labour issues; - equality and discrimination; - school-to-work transition; -

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industrial relations; - vulnerable workers and precarious working; - employment productivity;

- role of skills and human capital in a global context – immigration issues, labour law.  For

more information http://www.adaptbulletin.eu/docs/e_journal_cfp.pdf

___________________________________________________________________________

Korea: The Korean Journal of Industrial Relations

The Korean Journal of Industrial Relations (KJIR) is published by the Korean Industrial

Relations Association. There is no due date for the submission. We receive articles around a

year. Web/URL: http://www.lera.uiuc.edu/news/Calls/2007/Korean%20Journal%20of

%20Industrial%20Relations.htm

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Cuba: 2nd International Conference of Labour Youth 29-30 April 2012 – Havana Cuba,

29-30 April 2012. WFTU at http://www.wftucentral.org/?language=en

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UK: Rethinking Retirement: Changing Realities for Older Workers and Employee

Relations

 Deadline: 30 April 2012

 Special Issue of Employee Relations Guest edited by Wendy Loretto (Edinburgh) Sarah

Vickerstaff (Kent) and David Lain (Brighton), see for full call:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/writing/calls.htm?id=3854

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UK: Transnational Industrial Relations and the Search for Alternatives, Greenwich

University, 31 May 2012 to 1 June 2012. For abstract submission or more information,

contact Lefteris Kretsos (l.kretsos@greenwich.ac.uk).

___________________________________________________________________________

Ireland: IFSAM 2012 Conference, Limerick, Ireland, 26-29 June 2012. Website:

http://www.ifsam.org/

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UK: BUIRA 2012 Conference, University of Bradford, 28 - 30 June 2012. Calls for

abstracts have now closed, however if you have submitted an abstract to the conference

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please check that your submission was successfully submitted.  As this is the first time we

have used this electronic submission system you may not have been aware that you should

have received this confirmation.  If you did not receive confirmation of your submission

please contact k.gilbert@strath.ac.uk attaching a copy of your abstract.

___________________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA Study Group (Public Sector)

Leading Public Service Organisations in Challenging Times, July 2-5, 2012 in Philadelphia at

ILERA.

 Governments are looking towards their senior civil servants and top managers to implement

challenging programmes of organisational and workforce restructuring and routinely include

leadership as a core competency for top level positions. The study group is interested in

papers that address a number of issues in relation to leadership in a period of restructuring,

not only relating to central government but also in other public services such as health,

education and municipal services.  Abstracts and papers are invited on this topic. We are also

interested in receiving shorter papers from policy makers and practitioners that contributes to

our understanding of current developments. The abstract should be around 500-750 words

and submitted to Stephen.bach@kcl.ac.uk or lorenzo.bordogna@unimi.it  no later than 16th

March 2012. Acceptance decisions will be communicated by the 30 March 2012. Accepted

papers should be submitted by 15 June 2012.Full call for papers:

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/iira/study/publicsector.htm

___________________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA Study Group #9 (Pay Systems)

If you are interested in making a presentation at Study Group #9 the 16th World Congress of

the ILERA in Philadelphia, please send an email with the title and brief description to

daniel.j.b.mitchell@anderson.ucla.edu.

__________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA Study Group (Research Methods)

The study group will meet during, USA, 2–5 July 2012 (http://www.ilera2012.com/).  The

focus of the meeting will be on Partisanship in Industrial Relations Research. The aim of

this study group is to examine issues around the topic of whether IR can be truly objective.

Please send abstracts or papers as a Word or 'rtf' file by e-mail to both coordinators: Professor

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Keith Whitfield whitfield@cardiff.ac.uk and Professor Ralph Darlington

r.r.darlington@salford.ac.uk no later than Friday 30 March 2012. Acceptance decisions will

be communicated by 15 April 2012. Accepted papers should be submitted by 15 June 2012.

__________________________________________________________________________

USA: ILERA - Global Meeting of Deans/Directors/Chairs of Programs in Industrial Relations and Human Resources

In conjunction with the 16th World Congress of ILERA in Philadelphia during 2-5 July, 2012, a global meeting of Deans/Directors/Chairs of university and college programs in industrial relations and human resources will be held from 4 pm - 5:30 pm on Monday, July 2, 2012. To participate in this forum, please send an email request to: ac@ilera2012.com Please include name, address, name of the university, email, phone and some information on the programs at your university like name of the degree and annual enrollment.

___________________________________________________________________________

USA: 16th World Congress of ILERA, 16th World Congress of ILERA, 2-5 July 2012,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Website: http://www.ilera2012.com/

Register at: http://www.ilera2012.com/Registration/default.asp

Reserve accommodation at:

http://www.ilera2012.com/Accommodations/default.asp

Review program at:

http://www.ilera2012.com/Congress-Program/default.asp

Arrange travel at:

http://www.ilera2012.com/General-Information/default.asp

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Australia: Special Issue of Labour and Industry

Governance and CSR: Implications for Labour.

Papers are due to s.h.young@latrobe.edu.au by end of August 2012

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Portugal: IREC 2012: Challenges for Public and Private Sector Industrial Relations and

Unions in times of Crisis and Austerity

 5-7 September 2012, CIES-ISCTE/IUL, Lisbon, Portugal

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 This year the conference is organised jointly with the Research Network on Work,

Employment and Industrial Relations of the European Sociological Association, but

participants are not required to be ESA members.

 The conference will consist of plenary and workshop sessions focusing on the impacts of

crisis and austerity upon the institutions and actors of European industrial relations systems in

both the private and public sectors, and the methodological issues involved in their study.

•  What is the concrete impact of the crisis upon industrial relations systems in Europe, and

what are the comparative implications of these transformations?

•  What are the differential impacts of austerity upon private and public sector employment

and labour relations?

•  To what extent have the crises accelerated transformations already in progress in European

industrial relations, and to what extent have they spawned qualitatively new challenges?

•  Have the crises accentuated the complex trends towards both convergence and divergence

across European industrial relations? 

•  How are unions and employers’ associations in the private and public sectors facing up to

the varied challenges of current transformations?

•  Are new forms of social movements and collective action around labour issues emerging in

these crises? If so, which; and what, if any, are the emergent relationships between old and

new forms of collective action?  

 Papers may be theoretical and/or empirical (both qualitative and quantitative). As in previous

conferences, cross-national papers are especially welcome.  The conference will be hosted at

ISCTE-Lisbon University Institute by the Centro de Investigação e de Estudos em

Sociologia.

 Deadlines:

April 30  submission of abstract proposals ; May 30  acceptance of papers; June 15  early bird

registration; August 1  submission of papers

 For full details, visit the conference web site at

http://conferencias.cies.iscte.pt/index.php/IREC2012/irec2012  

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UK: 2nd International Conference on Vulnerable Workers and Precarious Work in a

Changing World

Date:                                      10-11 September 2012

Venue:                                   Middlesex University Business School, Hendon campus, The

Burroughs, NW4 4BT, London. 

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Canada: International Interuniversity Research Centre on Globalization and Work

(CRIMT) Conference, on Union Futures: Innovations, Transformations, Strategies,

October 25th to 27th 2012, HEC Montréal, Montral, Canada.

Original academic and actor contributions are invited on one or more of the following

themes. 1. What do Unions Stand For? 2. Who do Unions Represent? 3. What are the

Dynamics of Union Activism? 4. What are the Strategies for Union Power? 5. How do

Unions Innovate? For details on each of these themes and on how to submit proposals, see

the full call for papers at http://www.crimt.org/UnionFutures.html . The deadline for

submission of proposals is April 30th, 2012. They must be sent to Nicolas Roby, CRIMT

Scientific Coordinator at nicolas.roby at umontreal.ca.

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Australia: Pacific Employment Relations Association Conference, Hervey Bay,

Queensland, Australia, 19 to 21 November, 2012. Information at http://www.pera.net.au.

Theme: People, Management and Employment Issues: Sustainability, Inclusiveness and

Knowledge Management. Full paper 13 September 2012.

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Australia: 27th AIRAANZ Conference, 6-8 February 2013, Freemantle, Western Australia.

Information from www.conferencewa.com.au/airaanz2013; email trish.todd@uwa.edu.au;

email al.rainnie@gbs.curtin.edu.au . Submission deadline for refereed papers 21 September

2012.

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Australia: 8th Asian Regional Congress of the International Labour and Employment

Relations Association, 9-12 April 2013, Melbourne, Victoria.

Theme: Work and Employment in the Asian Century

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The program will be organised around four track themes:

1. The changing contours of employment relations and labour market regulation.

2. Human Resource management – trends and challenges.

3. The future of worker voice and representation, and

4. Globalisation, corporate social responsibility and decent work.

Call for Abstracts Open, February 2012; Deadline for Special Interest Symposia,

27 July 2012; Deadline for Abstract Submissions, 28 September 2012; Registration Open

11 April 2012.

For more details about the program, please click here:

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The Netherlands: 10th European Conference of the International Labour and

Employment Relations Association, Imagining new employment relations and new

solidarities. Amsterdam, 20 - 22 June 2013

Call for Papers and Submission of Abstracts

Abstracts must be 350-500 words in length and can be submitted on the conference website

as of 1 May 2012.

Over the last two decades employment and labour relations in Europe have undergone

important changes. Manufacturing employment is decreasing and various types of service

employment are rising, together with female participation levels. The standard employment

relationship is losing its dominant position with the growing use of flexible and part-time

contracts, temporary agency work and (dependent) self-employment. Segmentation between

stronger and weaker groups is increasing. Social solidarity is under pressure in many

countries as a consequence of the increasing diversity of populations and of the labour force.

Collective bargaining is decentralizing but there are also attempts to transnationalise

bargaining within multinationals or within certain sectors. Trade unions are slowly losing

membership and power but worker involvement in social innovation is wanted more than

ever. The role of the EU is getting more important and new forms of governance are being

experimented with. Change is accelerating as a result of the crisis and austerity is leading to

profound restructuring of the public sector, affecting employment conditions and service

provision.

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Within this context, we want to foster a reflection and debate on the future of employment

relations and new forms of solidarity. Such questions include: What can or should

employment relations look like in the future? What is the future of the public sector? Can or

should growing segmentation and polarization be countered? What new types of governance

support collaborative efforts to tackle today’s collective problems? What new types of

solidarity can we foresee between group of workers or workers in different countries? What

new types of cooperation or conflict can we foresee between workers and employers?

Papers presented at the Conference will be organised around five broad tracks (for more

detailed descriptions, see conference website):

Track 1: Industrial relations actors in a changing labour market. Track 2: Europeanisation of

social and employment policies. Track 3: Public sector restructuring: consequences for

employment relations and public services. Track 4: New forms of regulation and governance.

Track 5: HRM and Social Innovation.

Abstract submission deadline: 31 December 2012. Acceptance decisions will be

communicated by: 1 February 2013.

Apart from regular sessions with paper presentations there will be interactive sessions with

short presentations.

Symposia

We welcome proposals for special symposia. Symposia are self-contained sessions of one

and a half hour. They can be on the general theme of the conference or on one of the track

themes. The convenor of a symposium is requested to submit a proposal of about 1000

words, including the theme of the symposium, the details of speakers and the abstracts of

their papers. Proposals can be submitted at the Conference website as of 1 May 2013.

Conference Venue

The conference will be held at the historic Oudemanhuispoort building of the University of

Amsterdam, located in the city centre.

The 10th European ILERA Conference is organized by a consortium of universities in the

Netherlands which are home to research groups studying labour and employment relations, in

collaboration with the Dutch Labour and Employment Relations Association (DLERA).

Contact

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For more information please visit: www.ilera-europe2013.eu as of 1 May 2012 or contact the

conference management at: Amsterdam Institute for Advanced labour Studies (AIAS),

Plantage Muidergracht 12, 1018 TV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.info@ilera-europe2013.eu

www.ilera-europe2013.eu

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Australia: Fifth International Community, Work and Family Conference, The fifth

international Community, Work and Family Conference will take place at the University of

Sydney, 15-17 July 2013. Information at www.CWF2013.aifs.gov.au

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Other Sites

ILO: The International Institute for Labour Studies (IILS) was established by the

International Labour Organization in 1960 as a centre for advanced studies in the social and

labour fields. It produces the annual "World of Work Report". The International Labour

Review, a global multidisciplinary journal of labour and social policies is also published

under the aegis of the IILS.

http://www.ilo.org/

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UK: Working Lives Research Institute

Subscribe to the WLRI mailing list for regular news updates, including our regular WLRI

electronic-newsletter, and subscribe to our WLRI press release mailing list.

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