A cross-examination of Indigenous trade unions voices in the French Pacific Territories

The 'Curse of Wealth': New Caledonia is home to around (or above) an estimated quarter of the world reserve of nickel- the French call it the 'caillou', the rock - and there is not much hope for indigenous people that multinational corporations will leave a place where there is so much to exploit. SMSP and Xstrata have recently invested US$3.8 billions in what is to become one of the biggest nickel mining operations in the world. Overall recent mining investments reach US$7 billions

Labour politics in East and Southeast Asia

In East and Southeast Asia, trade unions find themselves in very different relationships with the state, from full incorporation (Singapore) to pluralist competition (Indonesia), marginalisation and exclusion (Malaysia and Thailand). In this paper we will outline the political role organised labour has taken on a range of policy issues including the minimum wage (Indonesia); migrant workers and productivity (Malaysia, Singapore); precarious employment (The Philippines); labour struggles and social movements (Thailand); industrial disputes and the role of unofficial worker representatives in challenging established communist institutions (Vietnam); and claims for distributive justice (Taiwan). We argue that this cross-examination confirms that industrial democracy and development remain a useful heuristic for the study of labour in the region and supports the view that states play a dominant role of 'pacification', with capitalist 'accumulation' being the primary motive and labour conditions subordinated to that agenda

Australian Industrial Relations through Covid19/Les relations industrielles au travers de la COVID-19 en Australie

The public health effects of COVID-19 were less severe in Australia than elsewhere. Successful containment of the pandemic made an early recovery more feasible, though the impact on the economy and jobs, was initially considerable and uneven. A wage subsidy was introduced in response to pressure from social partners, and a form of social dialogue was surprisingly encouraged by the Liberal-National Coalition to facilitate an industrial relations reform program. However, such dialogue seemed difficult to sustain in light of the other aspects of its agenda. The so-called "Omnibus Bill" proposed the Government late 2020 still under discussion in the legislative arena is opposed by trade unions in a "Stop the Bus!" campaign. We will present the major points of contention with an emphasis on the notion of status of employment, noting that the Bill lays the ground for employers to enshrine "permanent casual" modes of employment relationship. Contractual ("bogus" or "sham") and casual forms of employment have become an important feature of the Australian labour market and this in turn has important consequences in terms of working conditions, benefits and rights, the nature of collective coverage and access to collective representation

Browsing mega-trends: IR 4.0

Thirty glorious years had to end; we oiled up in crisis. Next, there was a Consensus. We got flattened; end of history. Then, the world became somehow bumpy again in a split between Davos and Porto Alegre; the super-structure appeared not so consensual after all. In the meantime, we became financialised and value-chained. The end of the end of history ended up with Terror and then, sure enough, we had to be de-financialised to bail out finance. Keynes the Great Return did not event, we got humbled in Austerity in an even greater split between the 1 and the 99% awaiting that something will eventually trickle down. All of that, we are being told, will soon be behind us: a 4.0 great dawn is coming. There has been indeed a fair deal of effervescence about the 'Future of Work' lately. The first objective of this exposé is thus to have a look at what is in store by browsing reports and statements from a range of international agencies and stakeholders (e.g. OECD, WEF, ILO, ITUC, etc.) including critical labour studies in an attempt to identify the narratives, prospects and concerns that dominate the scene. The second objective is to raise some methodological questions. Essentially, if we assume that Globalisation was the last mega-trend, can we transfer – by means of revolution – insights from our understanding of globalisation to our undertaking of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, if any

Junzi leadership in Singapore: governance and human capital development

Purpose – This paper provides insights as to how a Confucian-inspired Junzi style of leadership translates into initiatives toward human capital development in Singapore. After reviewing tripartite governance in Singapore, we discuss the character of Confucian leadership: how does this value system inform the moral economy of the Singaporean corporatist model and inherently come to impact upon the conception and significance of human capital. Design/methodology/approach – The case approach was employed using multiple sources of secondary data, supplemented by interviews with high-profile informants in Singapore. Multiple sources led to data triangulation in presenting a mutually consistent set of evidence. The paper also draws from a longitudinal observation of Singapore’s industrial relations and human resource development (HRD) policies over the last 10 years since the Global Financial Crisis. Findings – Organized along two thematic areas: governance and human capital development, this paper proposes and finds that governance in Singapore displays an institutionalized form of Junzi leadership that translates into policymaking toward human capital development. Originality/value – This paper brings about an Asian perspective of Junzi leadership toward management and governance. The Confucian value system intrinsic to tripartite governance provides an original heuristic lens that helps shed a light on the significance of human capital development in Singapore

Industrial relations in South-East Asia: a cross-examination

Our presentation is based upon the Editorial exposé of a special issue on industrial relations in Asia recently published by the Chronique Internationale de l’IRES (Delahaie and Le Queux 2016). Contributions were drawing on original research work and covered up to seven countries from the South-East Asian region (Taiwan, The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore) plus China. Three streams were under scrutiny: 1) Low wages and decent work; 2) Migrant workers and informal labour; 3) Industrial conflict, and the way labour organisations (or the State) dealt with it. Contributions on Indonesia and Thailand touched upon decent work in low-wage economies, and the one on The Philippines on precarious employment more particularly; those on Singapore and Taiwan addressed the challenges and contradictions of maintaining a productivist agenda under tight corporatist regimes. The one on Malaysia focused on migrant labour and informal work. Contributions on China and Vietnam reflected on the nature and modality of industrial disputes and how these came to challenge established Communist labour institutions. China and Vietnam were given additional attention as they provided ground for a comparative analysis. Observations are congruent with the literature: States still play a dominant role of 'pacification' of industrial relations, with capitalist accumulation’ being the primary motive (Ford and Gillan 2016); international pressures are indispensable yet commitment to the enforcement of workers' rights remains problematic; echoing a long-lasting assessment (Deyo 1981; Leggett 1999), the overarching conclusion is that the interface between development and industrial democracy is a key determinant in the region

Labour regimes and the labour problem in Asia

Our presentation is about work, employment and labour relations in the seven East/South-East Asian countries of Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, and in China. Following an account of the key features of the labour problem in each country, including the converging industrial relations of China and Vietnam, we conclude that the interface between industrial democracy and economic development remains a useful heuristic for understanding labour in the region

Regards croisés sur les relations professionnelles en Asie du Sud-Est / Prospectives on industrial relations in South-East Asia

This volume is addressing industrial relations in Asia; covering seven countries from South-East Asia and China. Three streams are examined: 1) Low wage and decent work; 2) Migrant workers and informal labour; 3) The resurgence of industrial conflict, and the way labour organizations (or the State) deal with it. Contributions on Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines touch upon the issue of Decent work in low wage economies, while those on Singapore and Taiwan address the challenges and contradictions of maintaining a productivist agenda. The one on Malaysia focuses on migrant labour and informal work. Those on China and Vietnam examine how industrial conflict put labour institutions at a cross-road