Call for Papers: Labour and the global crisis. Sharing the burden, shaping the future

Labour and the global crisis - sharing the burden (!) shaping the future (?)
VI. Global Labour University Conference, Berlin, 14-16 September 2010.

By 2008 the financial crisis that broke out in the U.S. in 2007 had developedinto a full-scale global, systemic financial crisis which ignited a deep crisisin the real economy around the world. Labour markets have been hit in afundamental way by the crisis. Unemployment rates increased sharply all over theworld and are set to continue rising in the coming years.Standard labour marketinstruments can help to mitigate the crisis, but are on their own totallyinsufficient to create adequate employment.
Financial markets are still not regulated. Despite the deep economic crisis sofar wide spread anger among people has not translated into major policy shifts.After the near breakdown of the financial system in 2007 and 2008 the casinoopened again.
Organised labour has mainly been consulted by governments on how to share thepain, but not on how to shape the future. This raises the question of whetherthe crisis will accelerate the decline of organised labour and the deteriorationof the welfare state or whether it can be made into an opportunity for labour toregain the policy initiative.
Given these perspectives the following topics will be discussed at the conference:

• Analyses of the crisis and short-term options
• Employment Developments and Labour Market Regulations after the Crisis
• Changes in the global economy and power structures and global governancereforms
• The Financial system, distribution and growth
• Social safety nets and the public sector
• Financial systems, corporate governance and multinational companies- Looking beyond the horizon - are there fundamental options?

A longer version of the call for papers can be found on the GLU website:http://www.global-labour-university.org/fileadmin/GLU_conference_2010/GLU_Conference_Call_for_Paper.pdf

If you would like to offer a paper in one of these areas, please send a short,half-page abstract by 15 April 2010 to: malpg@hwr-berlin.de

Frank Hoffer
Senior Research Officer
ILO ACTRAV
Tel 0041 22 799 8937
Fax 0041 22 799 6570
Web-Sites
http://www.ilo.org/workers
http://www.global-labour-university.org
http://www.gurn.info