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This working paper offers a global review of industrial relations within micro and small enterprises (MSEs), focusing on the collective representation of workers and employers, collective bargaining, and legal frameworks. MSEs and the self-employed account for 70 per cent of global employment, largely in the informal economy, and face challenges such as the limited reach of labour law and weak industrial relations mechanisms. The paper highlights the scarcity of research on industrial relations in MSEs and makes recommendations for further research in this area. It outlines policy recommendations for governments, employers' organizations, and trade unions, emphasizing the need for inclusive labour laws and strengthened industrial relations as important pillars of a conducive environment for sustainable enterprises. Overall, the working paper underscores the importance of collaborative efforts and tailored support to strengthen the role of industrial relations in fostering decent work in MSEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on policy papers published from 28 October to 1 November, 2024, covering updates from the UK Government and parliamentary libraries. Topics include the update on the Lifelong Learning Entitlement policy, the challenges surrounding teacher recruitment and retention, and the overview of special educational needs support in England.

The article provides details of policy papers published from September 16 to 20, 2024. Topics include international students in UK higher education, examining government policies and the economic impact; the childcare workforce in England, focusing on workforce size, recruitment, and retention; and advertising of HFSS (High Fat, Sugar, and Salt) food and drink to children, outlining government actions to restrict such advertising to tackle obesity levels.

The article focuses on recent policy papers published in United Kingdom (UK) related to education and released between July 15 and 19, 2024. Topics include the support system for special educational needs in England, youth unemployment statistics in the UK and European Union (EU), and mandatory reporting duties for child abuse in England.

The article offers information on recent policy papers published between 9 and 13 September 2024. Topics discussed include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on United Kingdom (UK) public service productivity; recent statistics and comparisons on youth unemployment; and current data and policies regarding student mental health in England. Additionally, it features the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development's (OECD) annual statistical report on international education.

The article summarizes recent policy papers published in the United Kingdom from October 21 to October 25, 2024, focusing on legislative and educational initiatives. Topics discussed include the transfer of functions in the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, challenges facing special educational needs in schools, and proposed VAT changes for independent schools.

The article focuses on the details of policy papers published during the week of October 14 to 18, 2024, across various sectors. Topics include a bill to transfer functions from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education to Skills England, challenges in the special educational needs sector in England, and proposed changes to VAT exemptions for independent schools.

The article provides a summary of policy papers published by the Great Britain Government and parliamentary libraries from 7 to 11 October 2024. Topics include the impact of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) Bill on skills reform, trends in higher education student numbers, and recent developments in school meal policies. The report also highlights ongoing concerns regarding part-time undergraduate enrollment and school uniform costs in England.

The paper examines possible mechanisms for trade union engagement in global value chains, especially in the context of emerging human rights due diligence frameworks. By examining existing literature on value chain analysis, trade policy, and governance mechanisms, the paper tries to generate a discussion on possible methodologies and knowledge gaps on trade union intervention and decent work in global value chains. The paper examines economic and social upgradation pathways based on available knowledge on skills, labour processes, job profiles and wages. It seeks to open discussions on how global governance forms like national legislation, legal systems and courts, framework agreements, trade agreements, multilateral governance, international human rights and labour conventions can converge with a deeper understanding of economic processes and logics of production and value-addition in GVCs. The paper seeks to position trade unions as effective agents for knowledge-generation and compliance monitoring when it comes to due diligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this study is to provide evidence regarding the impact of social protection benefits, taxes and social security contributions in reducing income inequalities. The study employs a well-established methodology to estimate the partial redistributive effect of contributory and non-contributory pensions, family benefits, unemployment benefits, sickness and employment injury benefits, disability benefits, social security contributions, as well as income and property taxes. The partial redistributive effect corresponds to the percentage decrease in the Gini coefficient that is attributable to each social protection benefit and tax. The main data input is microdata from the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS). The evidence presented shows that social protection benefits, and its financing through taxes and social security contributions, are effective policy measures for reducing income inequalities. On average countries that spend more on social protection are those that experience larger reductions in income inequality. The paper concludes with practical recommendations on how to finance and design social protection systems that reduce inequalities, as well as ideas for future research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the study of arbitration and judicial cases involving new forms of employment, this working paper identifies and examines notable characteristics of disputes involving new forms of employment. This working paper found that the number of such disputes is not large compared to the total number of labour disputes in China but is growing and mainly involving instant delivery sector. The claims concentrated on compensation for work-related injuries along with recognition of an employment relationship. Employers are difficult to identify due to multiple outsourcing and digital evidence which are more prevalent than in other labour disputes. Combining an analysis of a number of actual cases and interviews with labour dispute arbitrators, the paper also found that the "reference basis" for judgments in these disputes is the Notice on the Recognition of Employment Relationships (issued by the former Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Document No. laoshefa [2005] 12, hereafter referred to as the Notice 12). Furthermore, the key consideration when determining the existence of employment relationships centres around ascertaining the actual reality of subordination, while algorithms, instant messaging tools and the use of labour intermediaries constitute a new type of labour management practices (or new set of tools) of platform companies in China. This report analyses some typical "methods" used by some platform companies to avoid employment relationships and the corresponding efforts to "reveal" the reality of employment relationships in the course of examining and determining the disputes. Examining and unearthing inconsistencies between the "employment facts" and the semblance of the contract or agreement, as well as the existence of effective management running through layers of subcontracting and false self-employment, were the central tasks of labour dispute resolution practitioners in most of the disputes. The problem of evidence in the handling of cases involving new forms of employment is also discussed. The report examines the problems that may arise in the implementation of the Guiding Opinion on Protecting the Labour Rights and Interests of Workers in New Forms of Employment. It also explores possible measures to respond effectively to the difficulties and challenges and presents suggestions regarding dispute resolution procedures, judgment rules for classifying the employment status of the worker, and rules for the distribution of burden of proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between trade, labour and environmental sustainability by providing empirical evidence at the firm level. For this purpose, it first explores whether exporting firms are more likely than non-exporting firms to adopt green measures. Second, it assesses how labour market outcomes such as productivity, wages, education level of workers, and training provided by firms may vary between green exporters and firms that do not engage in trade or undertake green measures. The study finds that exporting firms have a significantly higher probability of adopting green measures than do non-exporting firms. In addition, on average, among exporting firms, those that implement green measures tend to have higher levels of productivity, pay higher wages, offer more training and have a similar share of workers with a university degree in comparison with exporters that do not implement green measures. However, the gain in labour productivity associated with exporting and the adoption of green measures does not seem to translate into higher wages in lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income countries; it only does so in high-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]