Track 1

Collective Voice and Social Dialogue

Collective voice continues to be crucial for shaping a decent and sustainable working life. Many important things have been accomplished, but old challenges persist all over the globe, and new ones urgently call for our attention. The state plays a major role here, among other things in removing barriers to collective voice, safeguarding respect for freedom of association, and promoting the inclusion of workers operating outside regular structures. Collective actors themselves may also move in new directions. New challenges and themes – such as the platform economy, climate change, new groups of working-poor and pandemics – may require innovative approaches as well as new strategies, partnerships, and even actors, both nationally and internationally. A stronger focus on equality and diversity makes new demands on collective-voice processes. Crossing geographical frontiers and establishing cross-border collaboration is difficult, but it is even more important in an atmosphere where protectionism is gaining ground. This track explores these issues and examines the role of collective voice and social dialogue in addressing the working-life challenges of our time.

We welcome papers and special sessions on such topics as the following:

- Freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the right to strike: legislation, methods, and results
- Innovative ways for collective actors to reach out to and include all workers and workplaces: new solidarities across borders
- International and comparative studies on social dialogue and other forms of collective voice
- The role of collective voice and social dialogue for

• a sustainable work organization,
• innovative and emerging trends in work, and
• equality, diversity, and inclusion