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This publication presents a comparative analysis of the Local and Regional Government (LRG) sector workforce in five European countries: Croatia, Germany, Greece, Spain, and Sweden. Despite variations in governance models and industrial relations, commonalities emerge, such as the LRG sector's significance in the national public sector, a predominant female workforce, and strong organization within social dialogue and collective bargaining systems. Governance structures influence LRG workforce size, with Croatia and Greece displaying highly centralized administrations, while Spain, Sweden, and Germany showcase stronger LRG-level administrations. Notably, LRG workers constitute a substantial portion of public sector employment across all five countries. The gender pay gap is lower in the public sector than the private sector, declining over time. Diverging historical trends in LRG sector size are observed, with increases in Germany, Spain, and Sweden, while Greece experienced a decline linked to austerity measures. The study highlights variations in labour regimes. Training rights for LRG workers lack legal provisions in all countries except Spain, where it is included in collective bargaining. LRG workers benefit from a strong right to association, union representation, social dialogue traditions, and extensive collective bargaining coverage. Trade union presence is higher in the LRG sector compared to the private sector. Legal rights to strike exist for LRG workers in all countries except for German civil servants in the sector. While the ratification of the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention (No.190) is limited, all five countries have enacted national and EU legislation against workplace discrimination and harassment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study how random variation in the availability of highly educated, foreign-born workers impacts firm performance and recruitment behavior. We combine two rich data sources: 1) administrative employer-employee matched data from the US Census Bureau; and 2) firmlevel information on the first large-scale H-1B visa lottery in 2007. Using an event-study approach, we find that lottery wins lead to increases in firm hiring of college-educated, immigrant labor along with increases in scale and survival. These effects are stronger for small, skill-intensive, and high-productivity firms that participate in the lottery. We do not find evidence for displacement of native-born, college-educated workers at the firm level, on net. However, this result masks dynamics among more specific subgroups of incumbents that we further elucidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report provides a comprehensive evaluation of the institutional and labour relations regimes in six African countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, and South Africa with a special emphasis on promoting decent working conditions for Local and Regional Government (LRG) workers. It investigates the existing institutional and labour relations regimes by focusing specifically on their impacts on the working conditions of Local and Regional Government (LRG) workers and providing an analysis of each country's unique labour landscape shaped by historical, socio-economic, and political contexts. The report reveals that the effectiveness and scope of institutional and labour relations regimes vary significantly across these countries as they are influenced by historical, socio-economic, and political factors. Notwithstanding these differences, some shared challenges and promising practices emerge that provide useful insights for policymaking. South Africa's legal framework and institutionalized mechanisms for collective bargaining have led to significant advancements in working conditions for LRG workers. Nonetheless, gaps exist in implementation due to capacity constraints and resource limitations. Kenya and Mozambique have made some strides in establishing formal structures to negotiate wages and working conditions, although implementation remains uneven due to weak enforcement mechanisms. In Morocco, a recent shift towards a more participatory approach in local governance has begun to benefit LRG workers, but labour rights need to be fully embedded in this process to ensure widespread improvements in working conditions. Cameroon and Ghana, despite some legal provisions for collective bargaining, face substantial hurdles due to weak enforcement, low union density, and public sector restrictions on collective bargaining. In all six countries, issues such as low wages, poor employment conditions, and limited access to social protection remain prevalent. These challenges are often exacerbated for women LRG workers, who are under-represented in decision-making processes and face additional barriers related to gender discrimination. Despite these challenges, the report identifies several promising practices. These include capacity-building initiatives for labour unions, efforts to strengthen labour inspection systems, and innovative mechanisms to increase worker participation in decision-making processes. The report concludes that promoting decent working conditions for LRG workers in these countries requires a multi-pronged approach. This involves strengthening institutional and legal frame-works, enhancing the capacity of labour unions and other workers' representatives, improving enforcement mechanisms, promoting gender equality, and fostering a culture of social dialogue and worker participation. The findings of this report underline the need for continued efforts by governments, trade unions, employers, and other stakeholders to ensure that LRG workers have decent and dignified working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of Unemployment Compensation (UC) in labor disputes and strikes, detailing UC eligibility and disqualification criteria related to these scenarios. It also explores recent legislative proposals at both state and federal levels aiming to expand UC access during labor disputes, alongside discussing the role of union strike assistance.

This brief considers a suitable model of representation for the technological higher education sector in Ireland, drawing on stakeholder consultations and international practice. It extends recent OECD work on higher education in Ireland, including the review of technological university academic career paths, contracts and organisation, and provides a case study of sectoral representation in higher education. The report assesses the challenges faced by the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) considering recent institutional and systemic changes and outlines six expected functions for a representative body: 1) public advocacy, 2) industrial relations, 3) professional working groups, 4) representation in policy development and implementation, 5) project management, and 6) sectoral branding. The international comparison contextualises the analysis in the brief by mapping higher education representative bodies in selected OECD systems and examining how they navigate this diverse and occasionally conflicting set of functions. The stakeholder consultation identified a shared transformation agenda unique to technological universities in Ireland, which would guide the remit of the sector's representative organisation going forward as it employs its various functions to focus on governance and institutional leadership, financial management, academic career transformation, research and innovation, and diverse learning demands. The brief presents a set of five options for the organisation of higher education representation in Ireland. In the near to medium term, it recommends maintaining a separate sectoral representative organisation to support the transformation and embedding of technological universities. In the long term, it envisions the emergence of a single whole-of-higher-education representative body, reflecting the size of the Irish higher education system. The brief was prepared in the OECD Secretariat by Thomas Weko and Matej Bílik, with the assistance of Marika Prince. We extend our appreciation to the numerous stakeholders in Ireland who generously contributed their time and insights during the preparation of this document. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of OECD Social, Employment & Migration Working Papers is the property of Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) recently addressed concerns over worker unrest and road blockades in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector. The BGMEA urged factory owners to ensure timely payment of wages and allowances, engage in regular meetings with workers, and collaborate with industrial police to resolve disputes. It was agreed that any conflicts should be resolved through dialogue. The meeting included representatives from various organizations and was presided over by the new BGMEA President, Khandoker Rafiqul Islam. The BGMEA emphasized the commitment to maintaining fair labor conditions. [Extracted from the article]

The Canada Industrial Relations Board has ordered an end to the shutdown of the Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City networks, which had caused disruptions to national freight traffic. The shutdown occurred after the rail companies and union officials failed to reach an agreement on changes to working conditions. The Teamsters union has stated that it will comply with the decision but will appeal the ruling to federal court. The federal government has imposed final and binding arbitration in the negotiations and expects railway operations to resume soon. [Extracted from the article]

H&M has renewed its Global Framework Agreement (GFA), which covers workers in approximately 1,000 factories supplying the company. The updated GFA includes commitments to collaborate on due diligence, strengthened language on preventing gender-based violence and harassment, and acknowledgment of industry collaborations. The agreement also promotes the signing of collective agreements, workers' rights to refuse unsafe work, and training for management and union representatives. The success of the agreement will depend on effective implementation. Additionally, H&M announced the closure of its digital fashion outlet, Afound, due to a lack of demand. [Extracted from the article]

The Australian industrial relations tribunal has ordered three unions to suspend industrial action at Wilmar International's Queensland factories for six weeks. The Fair Work Commission made this decision after hearing submissions from the unions and the company. Wilmar will resume cane crushing at all eight of its factories once harvesting resumes. The company has been in talks with unions since March 2023 to establish a new enterprise agreement, with workers initially demanding a 28% pay increase over three years. The suspension of industrial action allows negotiations to continue, but unions plan to appeal the decision. [Extracted from the article]

This Working Paper investigates developments in social dialogue and collective bargaining during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in a selection of European countries. The paper provides an overview of government and social partner responses. In describing responses, the main goal of this paper is to identify the dimensions that can help explain the variety of responses, but also their commonalities. The paper also aims at understanding the factors that may have promoted the activation of social dialogue over economic and social policies and broaden the role of collective bargaining and industrial relations, as opposed to unilateral interventions designed by national governments. The paper lays out an analytical framework based on the COVID impact in each country, national industrial relations institutions and the nature of the government in office. In this general framework, we observe how national industrial relations institutions play a key role in explaining the responses in terms of the level and quality of social dialogue and the role of collective bargaining. Particularly important has been the role of strong sectoral collective bargaining institutions, allowing sectoral actors to negotiate specific responses considering the impact and the needs of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assesses the social dialogue, freedom of association and collective bargaining institutions and practices in the public service among five member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Generally, "public service" and "public sector" as understood from the Constitutions of the five countries broadly subsume the various branches or agencies of the State performing governmental functions at central and local levels, including State enterprises. The Constitutions of the five countries generally recognize the freedom of association as a fundamental civil liberty, but national legislations typically regulate or restrict trade union rights in the public sector to maintain or protect public order, national security, general welfare or good morals. Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand have their respective institutions and mechanisms that could allow public sector employees, represented by their unions or associations, to engage in some form of social dialogue with their employers, including collective negotiation or bargaining. In public sector social dialogue mechanisms, high-level elected or appointed public administrators responsible for State functions represent the State as employer party. Their unions or organizations represent employees, who come from the civil service or the bureaucracy. Generally, regulation of public sector labour relations makes public sector social dialogue difficult and, in relation to Indonesia, inexistent. The author concludes that there is little evidence to show the meaningful existence of the enabling conditions for effective social dialogue, particularly the existence of strong, independent workers' and employers' organizations as envisioned in fundamental ILO conventions, and of political commitment to engage in social dialogue by all parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This working paper gives an overview of legal standards related to personal data protection. It explores trends, principles and good practices and brings them in relation to the world of work. The aim of this working paper is to give a global and updated outlook of the leading and basic legal principles and standards in this area. The focus is on data protection principles which have a general nature and which can be embedded in a global approach. This working paper attempts to expose and clarify general data protection principles, having in mind that these principles are applicable in the context of the evolving employment relationship, taking into account technological evolutions. An understanding of general data protection principles is considered necessary to comprehend their application in the work environment and to build further towards principles that relate to more specific areas and problem fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social dialogue, which forms part of the regulation of labour relations in the public sector, can take a variety of forms ranging from the simple act of publishing informal recommendations, or consultation and sharing information to the most formal and binding negotiated agreements, bargaining or more developed forms of consultation. Although each country has its own cultural, historical, economic, and political setting, there is a diversity of practices in social dialogue in the public service, and the common model of social dialogue for all countries seems to be freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining. It is, therefore, worth showing how different countries manage to adapt their diverse practices in social dialogue in the public service to the national situation. To this end, this report focuses on five selected African countries, namely Angola, Kenya, Tunisia, South Africa, and Ghana. These countries represent respectively the five main subregions of Africa (Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Africa) as suggested by the ILO. A thorough analysis of these countries' social dialogue mechanisms in the public service shows that the functioning and sustainability of such mechanisms may be facilitated by permanent structures or institutions, such as national tripartite consultative committees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the significance of brand support for wage bargaining in the apparel sector. The negotiations between ACT, IndustriALL, and international fashion brands in Cambodia are seen as groundbreaking, as they aim to establish legally binding agreements on wage bargaining. The agreements are considered a milestone towards collective bargaining agreements in the garment and footwear industry. The article highlights the potential benefits of these agreements, such as promoting good industrial relations and meeting investor expectations. It also suggests that these agreements could have wider implications for the sector by improving industrial relations and supporting higher wages. [Extracted from the article]

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has partnered with three Indonesian trade unions to launch a garment worker grievance process. The ILO has developed customized applications for each federation, allowing workers to report complaints and convey aspirations. The applications are designed to be simple and easy to access, and they also maintain workers' confidentiality. The ILO's Strengthening Industrial Relations in Indonesia (SIRI) project aims to build the capacity of garment sector workers and their representatives to effectively organize and represent all workers in Indonesia's garment sector. [Extracted from the article]

The Action, Collaboration, Transformation (ACT) agreement has announced new deals between individual brands and the global union IndustriALL in Cambodia on wages. This is believed to be the first-ever brand-supported collective bargaining agreement in the garment and footwear sector. The agreements demonstrate strong leadership from brands, employers, and unions and could potentially lead to a new era in wage approaches, freedom of association, and responsible purchasing practices. ACT will present its new approach at the Global Fashion Summit, covering support for wage improvements and better working conditions. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the U.S. congressional staff responsible for the creation of federal workforce and labor programs and policies. Other topics include the role of the federal government in areas like labor standards, worker safety and health, labor relations, and labor unions, and some basic federal labor laws like the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.

New legislation has been implemented in Mauritius to address labor rights abuses in the apparel sector, following a report by Transparentem, a US-based labor rights NGO. The report highlighted exploitative recruitment fees, abusive living conditions, and indicators of forced labor among foreign workers in Mauritian factories. The government has denied the report's findings and emphasized its commitment to preventing worker exploitation. Companies mentioned in the report, such as Ciel Textile, have claimed to have already addressed the highlighted issues. However, the report has had negative consequences for the Mauritian apparel industry, including a loss of orders and reputational damage. The Mauritius Export Association (MEXA) has acknowledged the weaknesses in the current employment system and has taken measures to improve the living and working conditions of migrant workers. They have also developed a comprehensive Code of Conduct to ensure workers' rights are protected. [Extracted from the article]

We use a massive, matched employer-employee database for the United States to ana- lyze the contribution of firms to the rise in earnings inequality from 1978 to 2013. We find that one-third of the rise in the variance of (log) earnings occurred within firms, whereas two-thirds of the rise occurred between firms. However, this rising between-firm variance is not accounted for by the firms themselves: the firm-related rise in the variance can be decomposed into two roughly equally important forces|a rise in the sorting of high-wage workers to high-wage firms and a rise in the segregation of similar workers between firms. In contrast, we do not find a rise in the variance of firm-specific pay once we control for worker composition. Instead, we see a substantial rise in dispersion of person-specific pay, accounting for 68% of rising inequality, potentially due to rising returns to skill. The rise in between-firm variance, mostly due to worker sorting and segregation, accounted for a particularly large share of the total increase in inequality in smaller and medium firms (explaining 84% for firms with fewer than 10,000 employees). In contrast, in the very largest firms with 10,000+ employees, 42% of the increase in the variance of earnings took place within firms, driven by both declines in earnings for employees below the median and a substantial rise in earnings for the 10% best-paid employees. However, because of their small number, the contribution of the very top 50 or so earners at large firms to the overall increase in within-firm earnings inequality is small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on informality is largely focused on the "informal sector" as a marginal or peripheral sphere of national economic life, beyond the pale of the leading formal industrial sectors, particularly in developing countries. This paper interrogates informalisation of labour and employment relations within the formal sector as its point of departure. The contemporary prevalence of precarious work which this foster is identified as a key element of the neoliberal agenda for keeping wages low and for maintaining social control. A mix of strategies rooted in unions' organising power and which attains some level of institutionalisation of social dialogue, such as the expansion of collective bargaining structures and mechanisms to represent "casual workers" is seen as fundamental for a transition to the formalisation of their status, and the curtailing of employers' unilateralist power in the world of work. The experiences of oil and gas workers' unions (collectively known as NUPENGASSAN) in Nigeria is utilised to illustrate this argument. The paper situates NUPENGASSAN's organising and representation of contract staffers within the context of how labour and employment relations are informalised from above in the sector. The creative multi-faceted organising strategies the unions utilised for building workers' power and pushing through social dialogue in upstream, midstream and downstream work situations are examined. The Guidelines on Labour Administration issued by the Federal Government in 2011 is a milestone marking the success of this approach. The paper however also notes the at times surreptitious and at times more brazen means of perpetuating precarity and undermining bi-partite social dialogue utilised by employers, including the use of landmines in labour law. NUPENGASSAN's consolidation of creative organising of union structure, mass mobilisation of members, and aggressive advocacy could help shape public opinion against such hollowing out of the spirit of the Guidelines by government and private sector employers. The unions will also benefit from greater collaboration with the radical civil society movement, and civic organisations in the communities their members work in. Despite the daunting challenges that still lie ahead, other unions can learn from the NUPENGASSAN struggle, as they combat the anti-worker regimen of labour flexibilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade unions rejected an 8% wage increase offer, claiming the figure would not sufficiently compensate workers for inflation. Keywords: Dairy & Soy Food; Dairy Alternatives; News; FrieslandCampina EN Dairy & Soy Food Dairy Alternatives News FrieslandCampina N.PAG N.PAG 1 05/15/23 20230509 NES 230509 Employees at FrieslandCampina went on strike over pay yesterday (8 May) and another walk-out is scheduled for today, leaving the Dutch dairy cooperative to find alternative milk-processing facilities. [Extracted from the article]

Also, no additional premium should be charged until further directions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that employers should listen to their employees and make harmonious and productive workplace to prevent an unforced mistake that can cost an employer.

There is a growing literature on global Chinese companies, but this tends to be at a very general level. There is little research to date on the effect of Chinese involvement on workers and their unions. Although focussed on one company, SINOHYDRO, this paper addresses questions of importance to construction unions globally: What is the impact of growing Chinese MNC involvement and how should unions respond? This paper puts the experience of workers at SINOHYDRO in Ghana into perspective and argues that: there is value in standardising and formalising industrial relations practices in MNCs through an International Framework Agreement; without workplace militancy and solidarity there is little chance of progress in bargaining; it is important that guidance and best practice notes on public sector contract compliance are available to unions at a local level; greater co-ordination and co-operation between the various levels of the union movement is essential; and despite their reputation for anti-union behaviour, in certain situations Chinese companies are prepared to recognise unions and enter into dialogue with workers' representatives at workplace level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using matched employee-employer US Census data, we examine the effect of a successful initial public offering (IPO) on employee departures to startups. Accounting for the endogeneity of a firm's choice to go public, we find strong evidence that going public induces employees to leave for start-ups. Moreover, we document that the increase in turnover following an IPO is driven by employees departing to start-ups; we find no change in the rate of employee departures for established firms. We present evidence that, following an IPO, many employees who received stock grants experience a positive shock to their wealth which allows them to better tolerate the risks associated with joining a startup or to obtain funding. Our results suggest that the recent declines in IPO activity and new firm creation in the US may be causally linked. The recent decline in IPOs means fewer workers may move to startups, decreasing overall new firm creation in the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A country report for Ireland is presented from publisher Ireland Country Monitor, with topics including economic recovery, peaceful industrial relations, and significant improvement in Ireland's fiscal position despite of relaxed fiscal policy.

The purpose of this chapter is to identify the role of labour relations in shaping the future of work. The discussion starts by reviewing how social dialogue, and collective bargaining in particular, can be complementary and flexible tools along with labour market regulation to foster a more rewarding and inclusive future of work. This is followed by a discussion of what type of government intervention may be required to keep bargaining systems fit for purpose and make the most of collective bargaining in a changing world of work. Finally, the chapter reviews how existing institutions and social partners are adjusting to the new challenges in the labour market, as well as the role of emerging actors and new practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the affects of the 72nd amendment of the constitution of Brazil on changes in labor relations of domestic work in the country including links with public and private sphere of Brazilian society, and giving added privileges to a particular section of workers.

We document a clear downward trend in labor market fluidity that is common across a variety of measures of worker and job turnover. This trend dates to at least the early 1980s if not somewhat earlier. Next we pull together evidence on a variety of hypotheses that might explain this downward trend. It is only partly related to population demographics and is not due to the secular shift in industrial composition. Moreover, the decline in labor market fluidity seems unlikely to have been caused by an improvement in worker-firm matching, the formalization of hiring practices, or an increase in land use regulation or other regulations. Plausible avenues for further exploration include changes in the worker-firm relationship, particularly with regard to compensation adjustment; changes in firm characteristics such as firm size and age; and a decline in social trust, which may have increased the cost of job search or made both parties in the hiring process more risk averse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does opening a market to international trade affect the pattern of matching between firms and workers? This paper answers this question both theoretically and empirically in three parts. We set up a model of matching between heterogeneous workers and firms in which variation in the worker type at the firm level exists in equilibrium only because of the presence of search costs. When firms gain access to the foreign market, their revenue potential increases. When stakes are high, matching with the right worker becomes particularly important because deviations from the ideal match quickly reduce the value of the relationship. Hence, exporting firms select sets of workers that are less dispersed relative to the average. We then document a novel fact about the hiring decisions of exporting firms versus non-exporting firms in a French matched employer-employee dataset. We construct the type of each worker using both a traditional wage regression and a model-based approach and construct measures of the average worker type and worker type dispersion at the firm level. We find that exporting firms feature a lower type dispersion in the pool of workers they hire. This effect is comparable and larger than the common finding in the literature that exporters pay higher wages because, among other factors, they employ better workers. The matching between exporting firms and workers is even tighter in sectors characterized by better exporting opportunities as measured by foreign demand or tariff shocks. Finally, we show that revenue loss is lower relative to the optimum allocation for exporting and more productive firms. This analysis is suggestive of the potential presence of additional gains from trade due to improved sorting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a court case in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that agreements between employees and their employers to settle their disputes rather than filing class action lawsuits and other collective actions are valid and enforceable in courts. In Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, the court decided that such agreements are valid under the Federal Arbitration Act of 1925 (FAA).

The article provides tips for employer on using diplomatic sentences in order to better communicate with employees. Tips discussed include confronting an employee about performance is a sensitive conversation, letting employees know when you don't agree with their approach without making them feel defeated or micromanaged, and act like an ambassador for executive leadership.

The article discusses retaliation against employees who voice complaints about workplace safety referencing story of a construction company who was punished by court who illegally retaliated against a worker after he voiced a complaint about workplace safety.

The article examines the issue on whether U.S. employers can terminate employees due to their bad behavior outside the workplace that could result in negative reputation to their organizations.

The factory fire at Tazreen Fashions in 2012 and the collapse of the Rana Plaza in 2013 generated a huge outcry about the working conditions and labour relations in the Readymade Garment (RMG) industry in Bangladesh, and led to the adoption of the multi-stakeholder agreements Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (Accord) at the international level and the National Tripartite Plan of Action (NTPA) at the domestic level. This paper investigates how the Accord and the NTPA have been implemented in the first two years after their adoption, whether they have contributed to an overall improvement in safety and labour conditions as well as to organizing in the RMG sector, and whether they can be considered as a "major breakthrough" and "game changer". The empirical research highlights the scope and limitations of the coverage of the two agreements. The findings indicate that after an initially good take-off, the activities lost pace and intensity and the remediation came almost to a standstill. The main assumption of the analysis of the Accord and NTPA implementation is that this process, its pace, results and constraints are consequences of the underlying power structures of the transnational apparel chains and the actual imbalance of power among the stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how an employer can become a better leader and make his team more effective, including paying attention to good employees, tweaking the recruitment processes, and self-evaluation.

The article presents questions and answers related to employees, including keeping private files on the employees and the rules on searching employees' desks.

The article presents a case study of the collaboration of UNISON, a public service union, with employers to develop high quality apprenticeship programmes. Topics discussed include the issues involved by the trade union, its membership benefits, and engagement in industrial relations and collective bargaining. Also provided is information on the advantages of apprenticeship schemes and the negotiation of UNISON representatives with employers on a variety of issues.

The article presents a case study that details the vital role of the biggest British trade union Unison in protecting the legal rights of employees. It offers information on the methods implemented by Union to ensure the effective realization of agreements and mediation of conflicts between employees and employers. Moreover, it cites the public services and campaigns of Union in influencing the government and in raising the awareness of workers.

Equal pay for work of equal value is a fundamental principle in European Union (EU) law and so in the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement. The paper takes as its point of departure the debate in Norway on the interpretation of EEA equal pay legislation, and relates this debate to the broader equal pay controversy in Norway. Among arguments on both sides in these debates have been arguments about what is right and just: Whereas proponents for strong equal pay commitments typically stress that social justice requires work of equal value to be paid as equally as possible, if necessary by means of state intervention and law enforcement (the law enforcement position), proponents for weaker equal pay commitments stress typically either (1) the relative justice of markets; pay ought primarily to be distributed through markets and according to market value and not according to some market-external equality standard (the free market position), or (2) that wages should be set as far as possible by strong democratic unions that negotiate with employers and employers' organizations (the collective bargaining position). The paper focuses on the confrontations between law enforcement and collective bargaining and interprets these confrontations as reflecting 'dilemmas of justice' (Nancy Fraser): in part a redistribution versus recognition dilemma, in part a justice-from-above versus justice-from-below dilemma. Finally, the paper investigates to what extent these dilemmas are genuine. Are there ways to narrow down the gap between the law enforcement camp and the collective bargaining camp? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a look on the conditions affecting investment and trade in Ireland as of October 1, 2010. The Irish government's strategy is now focused on encouraging foreign-invested companies to improve research and development activities and to make higher-value goods and services. Reasons why Ireland is attractive to foreign investments are cited, such as cooperative labor relations and transparent judicial system. Also described are the country's tariff and non-tariff barriers, infrastructure, corruption and other bureaucratic issues.

This article discusses the state of the labor market in Sweden in 2011. It explores the country's rising unemployment benefits and the responsibility of the Swedish Public Employment Service to help the unemployed find jobs. It also describes the implementation of labor law as an important component of industrial relations. In addition, the article notes the absence of a minimum wage policy in the country.