Documents Xhafa, Edlira 9 results

"The expansion of informal employment has been associated with increased exploitation and decent work deficits, leading to widespread poverty and growing inequalities. In response, a variety of forms of collective representation and action by and with informal workers have emerged demanding better and more stable incomes, job stability, better working conditions, access to social protection and protection from discrimination and harassment. In many cases, these workers are joining existing unions or forming new ones to press for their demands within the existing institutions of collective bargaining. In some other cases, the forms of worker representation bear many similarities to the early days of the labour movement as do their demands, which often go beyond immediate workplace needs and are framed in broader, more political terms. In particular, some groups of informal workers are pushing for a transformation of collective bargaining, both in terms of involving more actors and broadening the bargaining agenda. Contrary to the perception that unions have been lax in responding to the new challenges posed by the rise of informal employment, the literature suggests a process of union transformation that may be more advanced than it is generally acknowledged in academic debates. Rather than rendering unions obsolete, the diversity of forms of collective representation and action by workers in informal employment is reshaping unions, potentially strengthening them, or pushing them to rediscover their historical social movement identity. The research suggests that the future of worker representation is a bricolage of more inclusive forms of organisation, underpinned by more grassroots mobilisation and action, with the effect of revitalising the labour movement."

"This working paper offers a global review of industrial relations within micro and small enterprises (MSEs), focusing on the collective representation of workers and employers, collective bargaining, and legal frameworks. MSEs and the self-employed account for 70 per cent of global employment, largely in the informal economy, and face challenges such as the limited reach of labour law and weak industrial relations mechanisms. The paper highlights the scarcity of research on industrial relations in MSEs and makes recommendations for further research in this area. It outlines policy recommendations for governments, employers' organizations, and trade unions, emphasizing the need for inclusive labour laws and strengthened industrial relations as important pillars of a conducive environment for sustainable enterprises. Overall, the working paper underscores the importance of collaborative efforts and tailored support to strengthen the role of industrial relations in fostering decent work in MSEs."

"Capitalism is not the only form of economy. Alternative economies—people's

economies—exist in which human needs and relationships are more important

than competition and profit.

Forms of solidarity economy built on the principles and values of cooperation,

equality, self-determination and democracy, exist and are taking shape in many

parts of the world. These forms include household economies, barter economies,

collective economies including cooperatives, worker-controlled economies,

subsistence market economies, community budgeting, participatory budgeting,

community-based local currency exchange systems, and ethical trading, among

others. Labor organizations have also provided spaces for building capacities in

the struggle to defy capitalism."

"If the recent global economic crisis has debilitated labour in many parts of the world, many segments of the trade union movement have been fighting back, combining traditional and innovative strategies and articulating alternatives to the dominant political and economic models. This book offers a composite overview of the responses of trade unions and other workers' organizations to neoliberal globalization in general and to the recent financial crisis in particular."