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Maintaining and improving the capacity to be effective in work is held now to become an important social goal in order to maintain, individual, local and national well-being, including standard of living (Organisation of Economic and Cultural Development [OECD], 1996). Yet, without knowing more about how individuals are able to engage in work and learn through that work, and are motivated to continue to learn, there can be no certainty about whether the expectations upon individuals are realistic. This paper reports the initial findings of an investigation that aims to understand something of these relations through understanding the working lives of five individuals. It aims to explore these individuals’ working lives including how they exercised their agency ethically at work. In doing so, it aims to identify how this agency is shaped by individuals’ identity and subjectivity, and how these shape their participation in, and learning through, work.

Published abstract reprinted by the permission of the copyright owner.

The volumes from which this paper is taken are indexed from TD/TNC 77.351 to TD/TNC 77.353. Individual papers are indexed from TD/TNC 77.354 to TD/TNC 77.437. Show less

The most successful employers know that they cannot devise and implement a successful training strategy without fully engaging their workforce. This guidance highlights how ten organisations have established and sustained effective dialogue with their workforce on training. The case studies, based on specially commissioned research from Leeds University Business School, show what is involved and what benefits have resulted. The ten have very different characteristics. They operate across different regions and in different sectors, and the workforces have varied skills profiles. Some are small businesses - the smallest has just 16 employees - whilst others are well-known names which operate throughout this country and abroad. Some are unionised: others are not.

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This report comprises an in-depth investigation of the existing and historical structures governing co-operation and co-ordination between the social partners and public bodies responsible for vocational education and training in the EC. It begins with the central regulatory instruments and decision-making levels, examining the situation at regional, local and enterprise levels as well as industrial sectors in EC member states; and develops proposals for the contents and objectives of an improved social dialogue at the various levels. It recommends the reduction of distortion of training policy; facilitation of trade union involvement in the training dialogue; dissemination at the local level of information on training opportunities and training demand, between the social partners; clarify and improve the nature and content of dialogue between the social partners; greater involvement of the Manpower Services Commission in sector-specific training concerns; stimulate investment in training through public procurement policy; and making firm- or plant- level training committees a requirement for firms to be accredited as training organisations. Show less

This journal introduces the recent developments in Japan in the field of labor to a global audience. It is comprised of five sections: (1) trends; (2) research; (3) judgements and orders - reporting on major judicial precedents related to labor and commentary on these; (4) Japan's employment system and public policy 2017-2022; and (5) statistical indicators. The articles in this issue are: [Trends] How have Japanese policies changed in accepting foreign workers / Keiichiro Hamaguchi (pages 2-7); [Research] The current state of the Japanese-style employment system for high school graduates: based on case studies of 1997, 2007, and 2017 / Yukie Hori (pages 8-13) [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 137.160]; [Judgements and orders] Worker status of the commercial agent: the Bellco case, Sapporo District Court (Sept. 28, 2018) 1188 Rodo Hanrei 5 / Keiichiro Hamaguchi (pages 14-16); [Japan's employment system and public policy 2017-2022] Combining work and family care in Japan (part I): why do women leave jobs at the stage of childbirth / Shingou Ikeda (pages 17-21). Show less

The objective of this study is to understand better the algorithmic management practices adopted by regular workplaces. We investigate the degree of penetration and impact of algorithmic management on work organisation, job quality and industrial relations focusing on the logistics and healthcare sectors. The report focuses in these two sectors because the logistics sector has been at the forefront of digital transformation and has been deploying algorithmic management practices in regular workspaces. Similarly, digital technologies are revolutionising the healthcare sector, and there has been a significant rise in investments in digital health in the aftermath of [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic. The research has been conducted in two European countries (Italy and France) and two non-European countries (India and South Africa), allowing for a comparative analysis across countries with different levels of development.

We show that algorithmic management is widely present in traditional sectors, with benefits in terms of streamlining and simplification of work processes and efficiency gains. The implications of these new forms of work for work organisation and working conditions are also discussed. We show significant challenges in terms of potential deterioration of job quality as well as concerns regarding the strong potential for worker surveillance.

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With work a key vector of [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 transmission, this report examines why it is critical that occupational health and safety [OHS] measures take centre stage in mitigation policies. Workers in sectors declared essential by state authorities have been mandated to continue working in physical settings during the [COVID-19] pandemic. Several such sectors involve many face‑to‑face contacts with colleagues and clients, meaning that workers face a higher risk of exposure to COVID‑19. Unregulated safety measures, a lack of personal protective equipment and crowded settings further increase the risk in these sectors.

Persisting inequalities are exacerbated by the pandemic, as low‑wage workers, workers from ethnic minorities, migrant workers and women are overrepresented in these sectors. They also face intersecting factors, including precarious contracts, job insecurity, inadequate paid sick leave, a lack of bargaining power and low socioeconomic status. The risks faced by (recent) migrants are compounded by the fact that their residence permits, access to healthcare and housing may be mediated by their employers. Studies show that there is also a gender dimension to the OSH implications of the pandemic, with women facing a higher exposure to the disease, a higher care burden and an increased risk of domestic violence.

These patterns of inequality play a significant role in a health crisis, determining who is at greater risk of becoming infected, and whether or not they will have access to healthcare and self‑isolation. Besides recognising COVID‑19 as an occupational disease and providing adequate protection to workers across sectors, it is important for OSH measures to go beyond workplace exposure to the disease and to include the various factors increasing exposure because of work. Policy recommendations include better representation of workers at all levels of employment, sector‑specific OSH measures, broader EU‑wide policies and infrastructures, improved job security and sick leave policies, disaggregated data collection and inclusive messaging.

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The objectives of this project were to: identify occupations and levels in occupations, as well as occupations in specific industries not covered by either federal or state industrial awards; where possible, estimate the numbers, gender balance, and non-English speaking background (NESB) of those working in these occupations; and identify the wages and conditions applying to these occupations and how these are determined or negotiated, the form of employment in each occupation, the employers, the union coverage or non-coverage, and reasons for peoples' choice of employment in these occupations. This report details the findings of the project and is aimed at identifying potential strategies to increase the award coverage of workers in South Australia. The report recommends that the South Australian government reaffirm, by a statement of principle, the importance for all workers of having the industrial protection of an award. Show less

Taiwan is a small island country in East Asia, located next to Japan and Mainland China. Taiwan's economy has evolved from an agriculture-based economy before the 1950s to a manufacturing-driven industrialised economy in the 1960s to 1990s, and finally to a service-driven economy in the post-1990 era. Yet, the steady expansion of foreign reserves is not sufficient to compensate for decreasing domestic demand and investment. As economic growth has remained sluggish in recent years, there has been an increasing tension and unrest within society. For example, there is an escalating standoff between employers and workers over the controversial revision of the labour law on wages, overtime, shift management and paid leave. For graduates and young people in general, this has resulted in a challenging time to enter the workplace. Two 'best practice case studies' are included later in the chapter representing leading firms in the manufacturing and service industries. These short cases illustrate how these firms address graduate work-readiness (GWR) challenges; hence, their strategies may be useful for other firms and other countries included in this book to adopt.

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Sustainable development requires innovative strategic approaches at organisational level as well as a range of new skills and competencies throughout the workforce. The development of appropriate training materials and courses is an essential part of this equation. This report presents an overview of the Foundation's research and findings on environmental management training requirements in industry in the European Union from 1993-1998. The first part of the 'Training in Environment Management' project was carried out in 1993-1994 and covered Denmark, Germany, France and the UK. It was based on existing literature, enquiries and case studies and looked into corporate environmental and resource management introduced in recent years in a number of European companies and the education and training provision which is and will be required in relation to managers concerned with developing integrated and environment-related industrial and business strategies. The second part of the project, covering Denmark and Germany only, was undertaken in 1995 and combined existing knowledge and original research. It focused on the role and education and training requirements of categories of lower management and skilled and semi-skilled workers. The third part of the project examined the role and education and training requirements of categories of middle management involved in the implementation of the new corporate responses to environmental challenges. It was carried out in 1996-1997, in Denmark, Germany and Finland and was based primarily on enquiries and case studies. This publication contains four chapters: Chapter 1 provides an overiew and introduction; Chapter 2 focuses on environmentally innovative industrial practices and training activities at different levels of a company; Chapter 3 examines environmentally innovative education and training institutions; and Chapter 4 presents conclusions and recommendations. Show less

This report analyses the interaction of a state industrial relations system and vocational training practice in selected workplaces focusing on women’s training issues in enterprise bargaining. It is based on an analysis of the training arrangements in five organisations in New South Wales (NSW) complemented by an aggregate analysis of training provisions in NSW agreements registered until October 1995. This research highlights the difficult task facing women seeking to improve their vocational education and training (VET) prospects and indicates that women have historically been denied adequate recognition of their skills and have relatively less access than men to the available training resources. Case studies were conducted in five sectors (health and community services, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and education) and recommendations offered. Show less