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This article describes the research undertaken by the Partnership and Investment in Europe (PIE) research project into the potential for social dialogue in the crucial process of human capital renewal and development. The project sought to establish a multi-dimensional approach to the examination of human resource development and organisational change. Primary research was conducted in twelve corporate sites across the automotive assembly, banking and telecommunications sectors in Germany, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom. Four major findings emerged: a shift from formal training to non-formal learning with an emphasis on more generic skills; the shift covers the three domains of individual, group and organisational learning; the centrality of learning is accompanied by more developed systems of social partnership and initiatives to establish active and meaningful dialogue; and there is a trend towards human resource development strategies that combine learning and social dialogue. In European Union terms, social dialogue refers to the formal institutional relationship between the social partners (trade unions, employers bodies at European, national and sectoral level). Show less

The OECD produces annual reviews of Member and selected non-Member countries’ economies. Each issue provides an analysis of developments in the subject country, special reports on topics of current interest, and extensive statistical information. This 2006 economic survey of Australia presents a comprehensive overview of the Australian economy and contains a special feature on fiscal relations across levels of government. The survey is presented in the following sections: The short-term challenge: riding the commodities rollercoaster; Long-term structural challenges; Fiscal relations across levels of government; The need for further reforms to infrastructure services; Reforming industrial relations; Improving incentives to work. The survey concludes that a series of structural reforms and the introduction of a robust macroeconomic framework have ensured Australia’s stability during recent testing economic times. These reforms have also boosted productivity and living standards. The challenge will be to sustain this performance, particularly in the face of population ageing, which will require progress in the following areas: improving fiscal relations across levels of government; boosting productivity growth; and raising labour market flexibility and supply.

The 2004 survey is indexed at TD/TNC 81.362, the 2002-2003 survey at TD/TNC 73.418 and the 2000-2001 survey at TD/TNC 67.126. Show less

Why aren't workplaces better designed for women? We show that changing the priorities of those who set workplace policies can create female-friendly jobs. Starting in 2015, Brazil's largest trade union federation made women central to its bargaining agenda. Neither establishments nor workers choose their union, permitting a difference-in-differences design to study causal effects.

We find that 'bargaining for women' increases female-centric amenities in collective bargaining agreements, which are then reflected in practice (e.g., more female managers, longer maternity leaves, longer job protection). These changes cause women to queue for jobs at treated establishments and separate from them less - both revealed preference measures of firm value. We find no evidence that these gains come at the expense of employment, workers' wages, or firm profits. Hence, prioritizing women's preferences in decision-making can lower within-firm gender inequality through more efficient bargaining.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Vocational education and training (VET) and industrial relations systems are inherently linked. The Federal Government aims to increase the number of workers with VET qualifications but it is unclear how this policy is being supported through the industrial relations framework, in particular by the new system of modern awards. Research into training outcomes has shown that job-related factors are linked to completion rates among apprentices and trainees. An analysis of a cross-section of relevant modern awards reveals that award modernisation has had a small negative impact on the wage arrangements for apprenticeships. Modern awards continue to provide no recognition for some categories of workers who have undertaken VET qualifications through traineeships.

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As a nation Australia needs to do three things to cope with the worsening economic climate: look to alternatives to firing and invest in skills; repair the safety net to avoid poverty and dislocation; and ensure retrenched workers get the most effective assistance to get back to work quickly. Measures to increase access to redundancy entitlements, early intervention and case management should be more widely available, rather than based on a lottery approach dependent on whether a person works in a specific industry subject to special government supports, the number of employees at the firm, or whether the employment is casual or permanent. It recommends establishing a Skills Development Fund that would enable employers to retain their employees during the economic slowdown while they undertake training.

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This study fills the gaps in existing research on HRM [human resources management] in Australian SMEs [small and medium enterprises] by considering a wide range of standard human resource (HR) practices and some industrial relations practices. The small business sector has been regarded as the natural home for 'bleak house' human resource management practices typified by low uptake of human resource practices, little or no collective representation of employees and little or no employee participation. The results, reporting a national study (n=1435) on human resource management practices in Australian SMEs, reveal a moderate take-up of human resource management practices. These findings by themselves do not support what Storey has called the 'bleak house' scenario in Australian SMEs. However, there are factors that may have a negative impact on the relative positive picture portrayed in this study, when the impact of organisational size, the presence of a HR manager and prevalence of a strategic plan on the uptake of HR practices in SMEs are considered, together with low unionisation, low employee participation and a low incidence of collective practices.

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Manufacturing has been, and continues to be, critical to the success of the UK economy. Britain's strength as a prosperous trading nation over the past three centuries was built on manufacturing. Looking forward, a thriving modern manufacturing sector is central to the future success of the British economy. Manufacturers face major challenges in the short-term - the global economic slowdown compounded by high input prices for energy and raw materials - and in the longer term, as the pace of globalisation continues to intensify. But at the same time, longer term changes in the global economy present tremendous opportunities in new and growing markets, which Britain is well placed to exploit.

Contents: Part one: Manufacturing matters - Introduction; A major success story; Supporting manufacturing success; Responding to global changes in manufacturing; Part two: Responding to global changes in manufacturing - Global value chains: international fragmentation of production; Technology exploitation: accelerating the spread of new technologies; Intangibles: competitive advantage from non-traditional elements of manufacturing; People: improving the skills base and attracting talent into manufacturing; Low carbon economy: opportunities for manufacturing; and Part three - Manufacturing action plan and supporting information; Manufacturing in devolved administrations.

Excerpt from publication.

The supporting analysis 'Five dynamics of change in global manufacturing' is indexed at TD/TNC 95.674. Show less

Increasing the skills and productivity of Australia's workforce is a priority for the [New South Wales] NSW and Federal Governments. While funds to the vocational education and training (VET) system have been substantially increased, attention should also be given to improving the workplace conditions of those undertaking training as a way to improve VET outcomes. This report focuses on how the completion rate of apprentices and trainees can be improved, as well as considering other factors that may be associated with improved VET outcomes.

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The paper examines the link between workplace disability (WD) and job satisfaction (JS) in Britain using linked data from [Workplace Employment Relations Study] WESR2011. The results obtained indicate workplaces with respondents with disabilities report lower JS vis-a-vis workplaces without such respondents in the private sector. Within private sector workplaces with mixed respondents, the JS of respondents without disabilities declines with the percentage of respondents with disabilities. Also, workplace disability policies and practices are positively (negatively) associated with the JS of respondents with (without) disabilities in the sector. The sector may have to re-examine its dealings with issues of workplace disability.

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Non-standard employment, including temporary work, part-time work, temporary agency work and other multi-party employment arrangements, disguised employment relationships and dependent self-employment, has become a contemporary feature of labour markets the world over. This report documents the incidence and trends of non-standard employment across different countries of the world and explores the reasons behind this phenomenon, including increased firm competition, shifting organizational practices of firms, and changes and gaps in the regulation of work. It assesses the implications for workers' pay, income security and other conditions of work, as well as the effects on firms, labour markets and society in general. The report reviews international, regional and national regulation of non-standard employment, identifying differences across countries as well as promising legislative responses for ensuring decent work. It also analyses other policy responses such as strengthening workers' organizations and collective bargaining, redesigning social protection systems, and further policies for addressing labour market governance. The ultimate objective is to provide guidance on practices that can help ensure worker protection, sustainable enterprises and well-functioning labour markets.

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