The futures of industrial relations in times of plague(2)

ABSTRACT

In this paper, I offer a reading of the European context in the third decade of the twenty-first century. I discuss, first, how far ' varieties of capitalism ' persist, and the implications of changes in industrial relations regimes for trade unions. Second, I consider some of the ambiguities of EU regulation. Is ' Social Europe ' (still) a bulwark against market liberalisation? Third, I draw on Polanyi to examine the rise of precarious work situations, including the emergence of the ' platform economy '. Fourth, I comment on the impact of Covid-19 and the climate crisis, before some brief final remarks about trade union responses.