Take-off, turbulence and turnaround

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore the evolving nature of the work of cabin crew in a Scandinavian carrier in three eras, drawing on theories of gender and emotional labour.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on ethnographic data from fieldwork, interviews and documents.FindingsFrom being a feminized and temporary occupation for young, upper- and middle-class women in the 1970s, the occupation became a full-time job and with greater diversity of cabin crew. Today there are signs of the job becoming a precarious and temporary one of demanding and devalorized work in a polarized and class-divided labour market. Changing circumstances impact on the emotional labour requirement and terms and conditions at work.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation is that the research design was not initially longitudinal in the sense that the author does not have exactly the same kind of data from each era. The author has, however, been involved in this field for two decades, used multiple methods and interacted with different stakeholders and drew on a unique data material.Practical implicationsThe development in aviation is contributing to new discriminatory practices, driving employee conditions downwards and changing the job demands. This development will have practical consequences for the lives and families of cabin crew.Social implicationsThe analysis illustrates how work ‘constructs' workers and contributes in creating jobs that are not sustainable for the employees. Intensification of work, insecurity and tougher working conditions also challenge key features in the Nordic model such as proper pay, decent work and a life-long employment. Much indicates that the profession is again becoming a temporary one of demanding work with poor working conditions in a polarized and class-divided labour market.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the literature on emotional labour, gender and the evolving nature of the work of cabin crew. The unique data material, the longitudinal aspect of the research and the focus on a single network carrier are good in charting changes over time.

Entgrenzte Flexibilität im Homeoffice

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht die Situation von Beschäftigten und Mitbestimmungsgremien im Homeoffice jenseits und in der Corona-Krise. Adressiert wird die Frage, inwiefern das Ausweichen ins Homeoffice als gesteigerte Qualität einer ohnehin flexibilisierten betrieblichen Arbeit zu deuten ist und welche Folgen damit einhergehen. Die Analyse basiert auf 47 Interviews, die seit Januar 2020 im Rahmen von zehn Betriebsfallstudien in den Bereichen Chemie/Pharmazeutik, Metall/Elektro, Nahrungsmittelindustrie und Dienstleistungen erhoben wurden. Die empirischen Befunde verweisen dabei insbesondere auf Herausforderungen in drei Bereichen: alltägliche Arbeitspraxis und Kollegialität, Geschlechterarrangements und Arbeit der betrieblichen Interessenvertretung. Zunächst skizziert der Beitrag die bisherige betriebliche Regelungspraxis orts- und zeitflexibler Arbeit;im Weiteren werden die empirischen Erkenntnisse zu den drei genannten Themenbereichen vorgestellt. Abschließend diskutiert der Beitrag die neue Qualität des Arbeitens als „entgrenzte Flexibilität".Alternate :This paper examines the situation of employees and works councils while working from home beyond and in the Corona crisis. It addresses the question of the extent to which the switch to working from home can be interpreted as an extension of the specific character of flexibilized work, and what the consequences are. The analysis is based on 47 interviews that have been conducted since January 2020 as part of ten company case studies in the chemical/pharmaceutical, metal/electrical, and food industries and in the services sector. The empirical findings point in particular to challenges in three areas: everyday working practice and collegiality;gender arrangements;and the practice of works councils. In the beginning, the article outlines the existing practice of regulating flexible work and working time;subsequently the empirical findings on the three topics mentioned are presented. Finally, the article discusses the new character of working as "de-bounded flexibility”.

State of care for EU mobile workers' rights in the Dutch meat sector in times of, and beyond, COVID-19

PurposeWith a focus on the position of EU mobile workers in the Dutch meat industry, this article discusses the multi-level State efforts to enhance protection of workers who experienced limited protection of existing State and private enforcement institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic, with virus outbreaks at Dutch meat plants, fuelled public and political will to structurally improve these workers' precarious work and living conditions. Yet, the process of policy change is slow. The authors show it is the gradual transformation in the institutional environment that the State needs to counter to become more protective for EU mobile workers.Design/methodology/approachUsing the gradual institutional change approach and the concept of State ignorance, the authors examine State responses drawing on interviews with expert stakeholders in the public and private domain, public administration records and newspaper articles.FindingsThrough knowledge creation, boosted social dialogue mechanisms, enhanced enforcement capacity and new housing legislation, the Dutch State focuses on countering gradual institutional change through which existing institutions lost their effectiveness as protectors of EU mobile workers. The organization of work is, nevertheless, not (yet) fundamentally addressed with tighter public legislation.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the role of the State as multifaceted actor in institutional change processes towards increased protection for EU mobile workers.

In brief

Research shows that while inhaling gas and air (Entonox) in labour is safe for mothers and babies, long-term cumulative exposure may carry health risks. Work notice The right to strike The UK government's Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill is, at the time of going to press, at the committee stage in the House of Lords (the first chance for line-by-line examination). Visit bit.ly/ Clementine-register Working mums Maternity leave Careers After Babies research has found that of 848 mothers interviewed, 98% want to return to work after having a child but just 13% can make it work full-time, citing the cost of childcare and lack of flexibility from businesses as the reason. Find out more at hegenbergermedical.com/training Research Healthy eating support Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire are calling for better information on diet and nutrition to be made available to expectant parents.

Trust in educational leadership in times of crisis: The superintendent-teacher union leader trust dynamic

This qualitative case study explores the role that trust plays between the superintendent and the teacher union leader of a public school district in the Northeast United States during the COVID-19 pandemic using the framework of interpersonal trust-building (Zand, 1972). Further, it uses the five facets of trust (Tschannen-Moran, 2001) to identify the leadership practices that have the greatest impact on perceptions of trust in this relationship. Specifically, this study addresses the following research question: How, if at all, does trust influence the relationships and practices of educational stakeholders during times of crisis? Based on semi-structured interviews, document reviews, and observations, findings support previous research indicating that trust develops only with the benefit of time and, once established, allows for more direct communication and more efficient and collaborative problem-solving. Data also indicate that the facet of benevolence exerts the greatest impact on perceptions of trust in the superintendent's and teacher union leader's working relationship. Finally, the accumulation of shared experiences over time help develop a shared sense of identity between the superintendent and teacher union leader, resulting in stronger perceptions of trust and a greater sense of shared purpose. This shared sense of identity may also serve as a proxy for time, allowing parties to make assumptions about the other's future behavior based on perceived group memberships, thereby jump-starting the development of trust in the relationship. Recommendations include purposefully demonstrating benevolent behaviors in order to more effectively develop trust in a relationship and, whenever possible, communicating a shared sense of identity based on common values and beliefs. These findings have implications for district and school leaders who want to more intentionally establish trusting relationships and can inform the preparation, induction, and learning of district leaders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

European Cross-Sectoral Collective Bargaining as Post-Crisis Social Policy

This article proposes a policy project, centered around coordinated collective bargaining at the European Union level, to redistribute income towards low-wage workers in post-crisis Europe. It suggests we allow labor unions in sectors employing low-wage workers to present common wage demands across sectors and EU Member States. It shows that this would make union wage increases less harmful to workers and consumers than under uncoordinated sectoral bargaining, while coming more directly at the expense of managers and investors. The article then describes existing EU legal institutions that-although they do not quite amount to the policy proposed here-constitute useful precedents for it. These institutions are European social dialogue, European Works Councils, and European Framework Agreements bargained for by multinational firms and worker representatives. The article also discusses doctrines of EU competition and internal market law that could potentially be held to prohibit European cross-sectoral collective bargaining coordination. The article lays out arguments in favor of finding such coordination lawful, so that it may form part of the EU's policy arsenal to address wrenching economic inequalities worsened by the ongoing economic and health crises.

Cooperating for a better future

Este documento aborda lo que considero los principales problemas del mundo, aunque reconozco que también hay otros problemas en la actualidad, como la inflación y la guerra en Ucrania. Intentaré abordar los principales problemas, que son de interés para el CIRIEC, que es una organización internacional que presta especial atención a lo que se denomina el Tercer Sector" o "Economía Social", un área que se sitúa entre el sector empresarial privado y el gobierno a pesar de que no soy, debo admitirlo, un experto en este último campo. Lo trataré en el contexto de la discusión de un par de problemas a los que nos enfrentamos en el mundo y que me parecen realmente importantes. El primer problema es la desigualdad económica, de la que sé algo. El segundo problema es el cambio climático y los problemas medioambientales, que creo que son los más importantes. También me referiré al final a algunos problemas relacionados con la pandemia del COVID. En todos los problemas, lo que podríamos llamar el Tercer Sector puede desempeñar un gran papel.Alternate :This paper addresses what I consider to be the world's main problems, although I recognise that there are also other problems at present, such as inflation and the war in Ukraine. I will try to address the main problems, which are of interest to CIRIEC, which is an international organisation that pays particular attention to what is called the Third Sector" or "Social Economy", an area that lies between the private business sector and the government despite I am not, I must admit, an expert in this last field. I will deal with it in the context of discussing a couple of problems we face in the world that I think are really important. The first problem is economic inequality, which I know something about. The second problem is climate change and environmental problems, which I think are the most important. I will also refer at the end to some problems related to the COVID pandemic. In all the problems, what we could call the Third Sector can play a big role.

Sozialpartnerschaft unter Spannung

Dieser Beitrag untersucht anhand von Pressemitteilungen, Gastbeiträgen der Vorsitzenden und Presseinterviews, wie die Tarifparteien der deutschen Metall- und Elektroindustrie, Gesamtmetall und IG Metall, die Corona-Krise in der Öffentlichkeit darstellten. Die mit dieser Untersuchung eingenommene Framing-Perspektive verspricht Aufschluss darüber, wie die Tarifparteien die Handlungsfähigkeit der Sozialpartnerschaft einschätzen und welche Prioritäten sie setzen. Die Sozialpartnerschaft steht auch in den Kernbereichen des deutschen Wirtschaftsmodells in zunehmendem Maße unter Druck. Das spiegelt sich auch in unserer Analyse wider. Während auf den ersten Blick in der Beschreibung der Krise und dem Ruf nach staatlichen Hilfen zur Unterstützung der Wirtschaft und Sicherung der Beschäftigten eine Interessenkoalition besteht, ist diese genauer betrachtet durch ein starkes Ungleichgewicht gekennzeichnet. Nicht nur handelt es sich um rein strategische Kooperation bei spezifischen Themen (Autoprämie, Kurzarbeitergeld). Die Arbeitgeberseite besteht außerdem auf Lohnzurückhaltung und lässt die gewerkschaftlichen Aufrufe zur weiter reichenden gemeinsamen Verantwortungsübernahme unbeantwortet. Insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund weiterer Auswirkungen der Pandemie auf den Arbeitsmarkt wird so die gewerkschaftliche Verhandlungsmacht geschwächt und die Sozialpartnerschaft gerät weiter unter Druck.Alternate :This paper examines how the collective bargaining parties of the German metal and electrotechnical industry, Gesamtmetall and IG Metall, portrayed the Corona crisis in the public sphere. The empirical basis consists of press releases, guest contributions by the chairpersons and press interviews. The framing perspective adopted by this study promises to shed light on how the collective bargaining parties assess the agency of social partnership and what priorities they set. Social partnership is generally coming under increasing pressure even in the core areas of the German economic model. This is also reflected in our analysis: While at first glance there is a coalition of interests in the description of the crisis and the call for state aid to support the economy and provide employement security, a closer look reveals a strong imbalance. Not only is this common interest restricted to purely strategic cooperation on specific issues. What is more, the employer side insists on wage restraint and leaves unanswered the trade unionsʼ calls for joint assumption of social responsibility. Particularly against the backdrop of further effects of the pandemic on the labor market, this weakens the unionsʼ bargaining power and puts further pressure on the institutional pattern of social partnership.

Interessenpolitik in der Corona-Krise

Der Beitrag beleuchtet die Rolle der Mitbestimmung in der Ausnahmesituation der Pandemie. Anhand von exemplarischen Befunden aus drei Handlungsfeldern – der Entwicklung und Umsetzung von Maßnahmen zum Infektionsschutz, der Stabilisierung der Beschäftigung sowie der Verlagerung von Arbeit ins Homeoffice – wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob die Beteiligung am betrieblichen Krisenmanagement zu einer Stärkung oder Schwächung der Interessenvertretung führt. Die Befunde zeigen eine aktive und häufig auch als erfolgreich wahrgenommene Betriebsratsarbeit, sie zeigen aber auch erhebliche Branchenunterschiede, fortgesetzte Spaltungstendenzen und erweiterte Beteiligungsoptionen, denen die Verankerung in der Mitbestimmung fehlt. Dies deutet auf Pfadabhängigkeiten einer Mitbestimmung im Krisenmodus hin.Alternate :This paper deals with the role of co-determination in the extraordinary situation of the pandemic. Presenting exemplary findings from three fields of action, i.e. development and implementation of measures for infection prevention, stabilization of employment, and relocation of work into the home office, the paper addresses the question whether participation in crisis management leads to a strengthening or weakening of the workersʼ interest representation. The empirical findings reveal an active role of the works councils which in most cases has been perceived as successful. On the other hand, there are also indications of significant differences according to branches, continued tendencies toward fragmentation, and extended participation options lacking anchoring in the codetermination norms and institutions. These results point to path dependencies of codetermination in the crisis mode.

Has the seasonal workers directive missed its target? Evidence from Italy during the pandemic

In 2014, the European Union adopted the Seasonal Workers Directive to achieve a twofold aim: meeting employers' demand for flexible and cheap labour and enhancing protection for third-country national (TCN) workers. Especially Article 23, the equal treatment provision, triggered a cautious optimism among scholars and trade unions, which looked at the Directive as a source of increased protection for seasonal workers. However, trade unions also pointed out the limited reach of the Directive, criticising its lack of commitment and ambition. Over the years, and especially during the Covid pandemic, it became clear that the Seasonal Workers Directive did not represent a game-changer for TCN seasonal workers, whose increased protections remained true only on paper. This contribution draws on the case of Italy during the pandemic to understand the reasons for the Directive's limited impact. The article critically examines the different political tensions underpinning the adoption of the Directive, to better understand why the Directive is not applied in practice and how it impacts the labour market and migrants' social conditions.

Locked in, logged out: pandemic and ride-hailing in South Africa and Kenya

This article examines the impact of the pandemic on ride-hailing drivers and their mitigation strategies during lockdown in Africa. Ride-hailing has emerged as one of the latest paid-work opportunities for the continent's many unemployed. Yet, ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Bolt misclassify drivers to avoid regulation and responsibilities towards workers' welfare. Drawing on 34 in-depth interviews with ride-hailing drivers, driver representatives and trade unions in South Africa and Kenya, this article makes two arguments. First, the gig economy in Africa provides work opportunities for the unemployed on the continent and simultaneously vitiates the working conditions through the commodification and informalisation of work. Second, the state-directed emergency measures act as a veneer to capital's efforts to commodify labour and the gig economy platforms have emerged as primary tools for it. Our account points to an urgent need for better regulatory systems to hold platform companies accountable and a collective bargaining mechanism in the gig economy.

Danger, keep out! Trade union rights of entry during the COVID-19 pandemic

The closures and restrictions imposed at workplaces around Australia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have raised unprecedented issues for trade unions seeking to exercise rights of entry in accordance with Part 3–4 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). Section 491 requires that union officials seeking to exercise a statutory right of entry comply with any ‘reasonable request' by an occupier about an occupational health and safety (OHS) requirement that applies to the premises. This had led to disputes about the appropriateness of requirements imposed by employers to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 infection and transmission. This paper will discuss three recent Fair Work Commission (FWC) decisions which consider the reasonableness of requests limiting entry to premises in this context. Although the cases had different outcomes, the FWC's findings demonstrate how an employer's OHS obligations relating to COVID-19 will be weighed against the objects of Part 3–4. Overall the FWC has taken a practical and nuanced approach to such disputes, and expected some cooperation between employers and unions. The limited scope of these decisions does, however, leave some questions relating to rights of entry during the pandemic unanswered.

China's auto industry: regimes of production and industrial policy in the age of electric cars

This article discusses China's industrial and labour policy for the automotive industry facing the transition to the era of new energy vehicles. A conceptual framework on the regimes of production is employed to analyse the present transformation of industry structures in production models and labour markets. The growth of private-capitalist regimes of high-performance, low wages, and high profit incentives for workers is identified, which can be described as the 'Foxconnisation' of the industry, and it is at the expense of the corporate-bureaucratic regimes prevalent among the leading Sino-foreign joint ventures. As production networks become vertically disintegrated, some non-traditional industrial players are highlighted in the discussion of some recent developments in the industry during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The profound transformation in the regimes of production brought about social contradictions related to the production process, and new challenges and implications for workplace policies. The empirical study of this article confirms the necessity of trade union strategies inside China from an international perspective in order to ensure social standards and a more sustainable green transformation of the industry.

The pandemic politics of cultural work: collective responses to the COVID-19 crisis

The scope, unevenness, and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on cultural work has been widely acknowledged. This article turns to how sections of the cultural industries responded to the onset of this crisis. Our account is based on document research completed during the first wave of the pandemic. We gathered news reports, impact survey results, policy recommendations, open letters, event announcements, and other grey literature generated by a range of organizations in the cultural sector, including trade unions, professional associations, and activist groups, among others. Framed by the concepts ‘labouring of culture' and ‘policy from below', our thematic analysis of this material reveals that cultural workers responded to the pandemic by surfacing the idea of cultural production as work;by enacting practices of care and mutual aid;and by proposing policy changes. These collective responses are marked by multiple tensions, particularly between rehabilitating the status quo in the cultural sector and radically reimagining it for a post-COVID-19 world.

Influencia del covid-19 en las estrategias de revitalización en dos sindicatos chilenos Un estudio de caso longitudinal

La reciente pandemia de COVID-19 ha afectado las relaciones laborales en todo el mundo. Las organizaciones sindicales han debido adaptarse a los cambios, desarrollando nuevas estrategias de revitalización o perfeccionando las que ya tenían. En este artículo se analiza el cambio en tales estrategias en dos sindicatos chilenos del rubro de los alimentos, antes y durante la pandemia, utilizando una metodología cualitativa de comparación de casos de estudio. Los resultados sugieren que la pandemia tuvo un efecto organizador, donde los sindicatos debieron extender su alcance más allá del lugar de trabajo a través de plataformas digitales para seguir representando a los trabajadores y continuar avanzando hacia la renovación de sus repertorios de acción. Por consiguiente, se originó la noción de un sindicato bien coordinado entre los miembros, lo que, a su vez, impulsó la afiliación a la organización sindical.Alternate :The article explores the effects that the recent COVID-19 pandemic has had on revitalisation strategies in two Chilean trade unions from the food manufacturing industry. Building upon a longitudinal case study from two company-level trade unions, with data collected before and during the pandemic, the research suggest that COVID-19 had an organising effect on the implemented revitalization strategies, where the trade unions had to be resourceful and organise beyond the workplace in order to continue representing workers and moving towards renewal. Data was collected before (2015 from 2018) and after (2020 to 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic, these trade unions. Consequently, the notion of a well-coordinated union among members originated, which, in turn, boosted union membership. Consequently, the pandemic brought changes to the form of some revitalization strategies that were being developed in these unions.Alternate :O artigo explora os efeitos que a recente pandemia de COVID-19 teve nas estratégias de revitalização em dois sindicatos chilenos da indústria de fabricação de alimentos. Com base em um estudo de caso longitudinal de dois sindicatos em nível de empresa do Chile, com dados coletados antes (2015 de 2018) e depois (2020 a 2021) da pandemia, a pesquisa sugere que COVID-19 teve um efeito organizador nas estratégias de revitalização implementadas, onde os sindicatos do local de trabalho entrevistados tiveram que ser engenhosos e se organizar além do local de trabalho para continuar representando os trabalhadores e caminhando para a renovação. O artigo contribui para a literatura sobre a revitalização sindical oferecendo insights empíricos sobre o debate.

The cooperation between business organizations, trade unions, and the state during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A comparative analysis of the nature of the tripartite relationship

The COVID‐19 outbreak has led to an increase in social dialogue in general and, in particular, to an increase in tripartite cooperation between social partners' organizations and state authorities. This paper takes a critical look behind this cooperation and investigates the underlying rationales behind the tripartite cooperation in 19 countries. It is shown that even though the cooperation generally fulfilled its problem‐solving function, an expressive function that signaled unity was identified to be of equal importance in such a time of crisis. This expressive function is also identified to potentially serve as the basis for a renewed social partnership.

Making the ethical case for effective domestic abuse policy and practice: the role of trade unions

PurposeThis paper focusses on the role of trade unions in policy and practice designed to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse. The paper aims to examine this union remit through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR).Design/methodology/approachIn-depth interviews were conducted with 39 union representatives in a region of England to capture their views on and experiences of supporting members experiencing domestic abuse.FindingsThere is a clear ethical model by which the unions might articulate the key moral, legal and business drivers in determining effective domestic abuse policy and practice. Furthermore, the degree of "proximity”, in terms of union deliberation with employers and particularly joint action following disclosure, suggests that unions could play a key part in achieving "substantive” domestic abuse policy and practice within organisations.Originality/valueDespite unions' capacity to offer significant support to employers and employees, the role of unions in addressing the workplace impact of domestic abuse is under-researched. With reference to the concept of CSR, the article adds to the knowledge of how to address the workplace impact of domestic abuse.

Do Workers Speak Up When Feeling Job Insecure? Examining Workers' Response to Precarity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted unprecedented precarity upon workers, including concerns about job insecurity. We examine whether workers respond to job insecurity with voice, and assess the role of unions, managers, and employment arrangements in this relationship. Analyses of an original 2020 survey representative of Illinois and Michigan workers show that job insecurity is not significantly associated with voice. Further, while we find that union membership and confidence in organized labor are positively associated with voice, insecure workers are less likely to speak up than secure workers as confidence in organized labor increases. Last, we find that insecure nonstandard workers are less likely to use voice than their secure counterparts.

Interest Group Strategic Responses to Democratic Backsliding

In this article, we offer insights into the plurality of interest groups' strategic responses to the socially, politically, and economically transformative phenomenon of democratic backsliding. For the purpose of the article, the term "ideational plurality” has been coined to refer to a plurality of interest groups' ideas leading their activities in general and their choice of strategies concerning the government in particular (attitudinal and behavioural aspects). Two policy fields and two types of interest groups engaged in an institutionalised social partnership—advocacy NGOs (operating in the environmental policy field) and economic groups (trade unions)—are studied comparatively in Slovenia using a mixed‐methods approach. The key findings are that strategic responses to democratic backsliding vary between environmental NGOs and trade unions, as do their ideational plurality, and that environmental NGOs' ideational plurality damages their potential to struggle against democratic backsliding. In contrast, trade unions' ideational homogeneity enables them to jointly struggle against governmental destruction of one significant segment of democratic order (institutions of social partnership) without demanding that the government step down for misusing the Covid‐19 pandemic to establish a system of governance that resonates with Viktor Orbán's ideas of illiberal democracy.

From branch to board

Members' needs drive the RCM's actions at every level, from local branches to the governing board, individual matters to strategic direction. There are a few RCM committees chaired by board members - for example, looking at audit and risk or the information services for members - and all of those also feed back into the board for oversight. Keelie Barrett MSW MEMBER OF THE RCM BOARD I was the first MSW member of the RCM board, elected in 2019 when MSWs became eligible. Because of this, I feel it's important for me to be a role model to show other MSWs what's possible and encourage them to put themselves forward too. Having been on a board of governors at a school I had an insight into that - but I wasn't aware of all the sub-committees board members get involved in, such as the Investment Committee that I currently chair, all of which feeds back into the whole board meetings every other month.