Labor Interests Research Articles

“Who am I?”: an autoethnographic self-study on teacher identity and emotional labour of a volunteer teacher during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Teachers may undergo emotional and identity dissonance during professional practice due to various personal and contextual factors. These types of dissonance may provide opportunities for teachers to address challenges, thus enabling personal transformation and professional development. Despite a surge in research interest in teacher identity and emotional labour, few studies have used an autoethnographic lens. In this autoethnographic paper, I share my lived experiences as a volunteer teacher during campus closure from March to May 2022 in Changchun, China, a COVID-19 pandemic hotspot in the aforementioned period. I conducted an exploration of my emotion management processes in negotiating conflicts between my teacher and volunteer identities and the challenges associated with online teaching and volunteering activities. Thematic analyses of my reflective journals revealed three strands of emotional/identity dissonance involved in online teaching, volunteer work and final exams. The autoethnographic vignettes include epiphanic moments highlighting the identity dissonance and adverse challenges that led to negative emotions and, in turn, emotional labour. The findings reveal how my emotional labour prompted the construction and negotiation of volunteer teacher identity. This study confirms the importance of engaging in self-reflective narration to cope with challenges and the implications of this process for teachers in emotional quandaries.

The Contrasting Footprint of Labour and Capital in Post‐colonial India

ABSTRACTIndia's struggle for independence held the promise of an end to poverty and redemption from the communal‐cum‐class‐based inequality which had kept the peasant economy backward. But the planned substitution of the agrarian‐rural fabric for an industrial‐urban way of life failed to materialize. Casualization and contractualization of waged work indicated that labour had become thoroughly commodified in a state of ongoing footlooseness. It was a proletarianization which did not allow for the collective action precondition to raise and settle the social question. The onslaught of neoliberal capitalism in the last quarter of the 20th century ended the brokerage of the nation state to secure the interests of labour next to those of capital. Less than 10 per cent of the workforce has continued to enjoy formalized occupational engagement, mainly in the downgraded public economy. Corporate capital in collusion with statist autocracy has not only effectuated the deregulation of employment but also abandoned the legal code of formality. The outcome is a state of lawlessness for the people at the bottom of the pile. Besides big business, politics and governance are identified in this reconfiguration as stakeholders in a brutal regime of informality, erosive of equality, democracy, welfare and civil rights.

Unveiling Construction Quality Factors: Insights from Asian Economy's Building Projects

Economic growth of any country depends on the construction projects and industry in the region. Therefore, the construction industry in Pakistan is directly related to quality and continual improvements in construction projects. Quality is a sensitive and high-priority issue in global construction including in Pakistan. The prime objective of this research study was to investigate major factors influencing the quality of building construction projects in Pakistan. The intended of this research study was to provide guidelines and information to all stakeholders such as owners, project consultants, and project contractors during the construction site of projects so that they are completed on time and with quality. The descriptive survey method was utilized with both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative approach was used to collect data through project documents and in-depth interviews. N-Vivo software were used at the preliminary stage for the analysis of qualitative data to identify these factors and the linked sub-factors. Analysis of this qualitative data identified 32 factors that influence building construction projects. Questionnaire design was based on qualitative data analysis. The quantitative approach was used to collect data from building construction projects in Pakistan through via questionnaires. The 150 questionnaires links were sent to Pakistan building construction companies in Google form, and 120 respondents filled out the questionnaire. In this way, the response rate is 80%, enough to get accurate results. The SPSS software was used for analysis of collective data. The important quality factors were resulted from a stepwise RFI, RSI, IRII on the quality factors resulted from the factor analysis approach. The correlation coefficient was used to find the relationship between consultants and contractors with the owner. On the basis of analysis, it is concluded that the most significant factors influencing the quality of a building construction project were identified. the Findings of this study were: the skill and interest of labor during construction are a significant impact on the quality in Pakistan, escalation of material prices had influenced the quality of construction projects, making decisions based on price rather than the value of work, Lack of implementation of quality standards of work has greatly influenced the quality of construction industry projects, lack of comprehensive and accurate bill of quantities (BOQ), excessive design changes during construction and shortage of resource materials. In Pakistan, all the stakeholders should consider and take action for these influencing quality factors before starting construction projects.

Workers of all member states unite? Europeanising the power resources approach via the Minimum Wage Directive

ABSTRACT The Directive on adequate minimum wages (AMWD) of October 2022 epitomises a shift in European wage governance from negative integration, focused on competitiveness and inflation-fighting, towards a positive mode of integration via the procedural regulation of wage adequacy and promotion of collective bargaining. The politics behind this contentious directive, we contend, reveals a re-empowerment of labour interests in the EU. The paper puts forward a ‘Europeanised’ variant on the power resources approach (PRA), which we argue has additional analytical leverage compared to existing explanations of EU social policy. Building on documents and 26 interviews, we use this framework to shed light on the influence of labour interests in the agenda-setting and decision-making behind this directive. Our empirics reveal the role of the Party of European Socialists as a reform protagonist, the European Trade Union Confederation as a key consenter, and their influence exercised by coordinating across institutions. We conclude by discussing the relevance of a Europeanised PRA beyond the AMWD. The implementation of the directive and the future of wage policy in the context of EU macroeconomic governance will be a testcase for labour power and its effective coordination in the multi-level European polity.

INTERACTIONAL JUSTICE AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF THE TEACHERS OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BAMENDA, NOTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of interactional justice on the psychological well-being of teachers in the Archdiocese of Bamenda North West Region of Cameroon. The study employed a sequential explanatory research design. The sample for the study comprised 270 teachers working in Catholic nursery, primary and secondary schools within the Mankon, Bayelle and Bambui Deaneries of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire and focus Group Discussions. Data were analyzed using both inferential and descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that interactional justice had no significant effect on the psychological well-being of teachers of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. Based on the findings, it was recommended that private sector education employers should uphold honesty, accountability and transparency in the management of subventions and payment of salaries to teachers and that they allow private sector education teachers to exercise their right to form trade union to defend their labour interests.

Looking beyond the workplace: Trade unions and the politics of poverty in Italy

AbstractThere is ample literature to suggest that labour's interests are at odds with the extension of income protection to ‘outsiders’. Until recently, Italian unions were reluctant, if not outright obstructive, towards the introduction of a minimum income scheme (MIS). After the 2008 financial crisis and its dramatic social and economic consequences, however, the three major labour confederations supported the introduction of a national MIS, openly embracing the fight against income insecurity. Why did trade unions overturn their conservative approach and eventually support social assistance safety nets? Drawing upon textual evidence and semi‐structured interviews, the paper suggests that the Italian labour movement, albeit with differences among the confederations, has radically changed its preferences towards social assistance. Unions gradually shifted from a ‘deservingness’ logic (championing ‘hard work’) to one of reservation wage (the ‘we are all in the same boat’ narrative). Weaknesses in labour market peripheries have encouraged the labour movement to defend those at risk of poverty. The Italian case has wider implications for actors' preferences and roles in welfare reform, showing that structural and strategic factors may encourage labour to join coalitions that support welfare ‘de‐dualisation’ pathways.

Building a democratic expertise to inform labour’s struggle for a just transition

ABSTRACT Increasingly, the concept of a just transition is shaping labour’s view of environmental justice but the experience of trade unions working towards just transitions has been mixed, although much action has built on the existing relationships that trade unions have had with their members, other trade unions and civil society organisations. Recent analysis of trade union environmental action has found that a more radical approach is needed that will promote the long-term interests of labour in what has been described as the just transition. This paper argues that if trade unions want future, more transformative strategies, they will have to build their own expertise, building on their own research which has informed their own democratic expertise. This paper makes a contribution to this process by identifying ‘Three Pillars’ which could be used to inform trade union thinking and action. The Three Pillars are: (a) critical analysis of current net-zero policies, (b) new green, industrial strategies supported by social infrastructure, (c) changing labour-environmental relationships. The paper includes a case study of a trade union which is campaigning for a new National Climate Service.

Do labor unions enhance corporate social performance? Evidence from Korean financial markets

This study examines the impact of labor unionization on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in South Korean listed companies, particularly in the context of chaebol-affiliated firms. Using a dataset of 2,622 firm-year observations between 2005 and 2009, the study employs regression analyses to explore the relationship between unionization and CSR performance. Key findings indicate a significant negative correlation between labor unionization and CSR engagement, suggesting that unionized firms exhibit less involvement in CSR activities. This association, however, is not significant in chaebol-affiliated firms, where the unique corporate structure and shared resources appear to mitigate the influence of labor unions on CSR. Furthermore, the study reveals a positive link between CSR initiatives and labor productivity in unionized firms, indicating that CSR may enhance employee efficiency. The study highlights the intricate relationships between labor unionization, corporate governance, and CSR, particularly in the context of Korean business conglomerates. It emphasizes the importance of aligning labor interests with CSR commitments and underscores the role of effective corporate governance in promoting CSR activities. The positive impact of CSR on labor productivity underscores its potential in boosting employee performance. AcknowledgmentThis work was supported by the Gachon University research fund of 2023. (GCU-202303770001).

Analysis of the Impact on the Labour Market after the British Prime Minister and Government Policy Change

Britain's economic situation is facing severe challenges following the failure of Liz Truss's mini-budget policy, and a series of fallouts is affecting the UK. After taking office, the Rishi Sunak government's policy direction should be necessary for workers' lives. This article focuses on the Labour market and analyses the factors contributing to the current state of the UK labour market. Economic development and labour interests should be balanced. The article is mainly based on qualitative analysis and economics theories. Data are sourced from the UK’s Office for National Statistics, mainstream press institutions, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, etc. In conclusion, the policies are suggested to ensure the interest and basic living standard of laborer’s as it is better for long-term development and future construction.

ГРУППА РАБОТНИКОВ КАК САМОСТОЯТЕЛЬНЫЙ СУБЪЕКТ ТРУДОВЫХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ

In the current labor legislation practically there are no rules governing relations with industrial groups of employees. However, the association of workers into groups, due to the common social and labor interests, widespread during the Soviet period, has not lost its relevance even today, on the contrary, in modern conditions there is a tendency to strengthen collective beginnings in the process of production activities. The purpose of the study: determining the place of a group of workers in the system of modern subjects of labour law. Tasks: to study groups of workers as subjects of labor law in Russia and abroad, to study forms that accept groups of workers in traditional and atypical labor relations, to determine the status of modern industrial groups, proposals to improve labour legislation with regard to the legal regulation of labour relations with groups of workers. In the process of work such research methods as the method of scientific analysis, as well as formallogical, system-structural, technical-legal methods and comparative methods were used. Results: analysis of selected atypical forms of employment (various forms of joint work and temporary management)as well as the analysis of new approaches to the management of independent work leads to the conclusion that the issue of regulation of the legal status of groups of production associations of employees is being updated. The author notes the similarity of the structure and organization of such entities with the group forms of production activities known to Soviet legislation. Conclusions. It is concluded that it is necessary to legally define groups of workers as subjects of labor legislation, to determine the place of such subjects in the system of subjects of labor relations, as well as to regulate both intra-group and external relations of the group, including the employer.

Right to Strike a Fundamental Right or an Abstract

The right to strike has long been a contentious issue at the intersection of labour rights, constitutional law, and social justice. This research paper delves into the complex question of whether the right to strike should be recognized as a fundamental right. Drawing from an extensive review of legal frameworks, historical precedents, and international perspectives, this paper examines the evolving nature of the right to strike and its significance in contemporary society. The paper explores the historical context of labour movements and the development of the right to strike as a means of collective bargaining and expressing worker grievances. It critically analyses constitutional provisions and judicial decisions in various countries, highlighting the differing stances on recognizing the right to strike as a fundamental right. Additionally, it considers the impact of globalization, technological advancements, and changing labour dynamics on the relevance and scope of this right. Furthermore, the research paper investigates the ethical and social implications of acknowledging the right to strike as fundamental, including its potential to protect workers' dignity, freedom of association, and fair labour practices. It also examines the challenges and limitations associated with the exercise of this right, such as balancing labour interests with broader societal interests and ensuring the rule of law. By offering a comprehensive overview of the right to strike, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on fundamental rights in the modern world. It underscores the importance of addressing the complexities surrounding this right, ultimately aiming to inform legal and policy discussions and foster a deeper understanding of its role in shaping equitable labour relations and social justice.

Running From the Union Label? Labor and Business Political Mobilization in the Golden Age

This paper assesses labor's political effectiveness in the industrial Midwest at the peak of union strength during the 1950s—a time and place that should have been ripe for labor mobilization. Comparing labor and business mobilization and outcomes across key labor elections, I find that politicians and business groups were often successful in persuading industrial communities to vote against labor's interests while unions struggled to shed outsider and greedy special interest labels. To make sense of labor's mixed performance, I draw on social movement theory and the inter-related nature of union mobilization, countermovement organization, and the framing of labor issues. Labor struggled when facing a well-organized business countermovement, which effectively weaponized the union label against labor. Union success hinged in part on their ability to downplay union identity and to have other more respected community partners do much of the public-facing work, but only when facing a fractured opposition. The findings point to important vulnerabilities unions faced at their peak and suggest a more nuanced view of postwar labor relations. They also extend social movement research on framing by identifying the important role of countermovements and coalitions in shaping what movements can convey and what will resonate.

The Role of Labor Unions in Determining Minimum Wage in Indonesia

Purpose: This research aims to analyze the importance of labor unions in decent living standards to improve labor welfare to increase labor’s minimum wage and respond to the implementation of Government Regulation No. 78 of 2015 about wages. Theoretical framework: The labor union is the labor representative that has an essential role in determining minimum wage in the regency because the labor union is a member of the Wage Council. Implementing Government Regulation No. 78 of 2015 concerning wages leads to wage disparities, especially in East Java province. The determination of minimum wage has become a crucial and complex problem as it involves the interests of labor, companies, and government. Every of the wage disparities increases that influenced labor conditions became less conducive, and companies relocated their businesses. Labor unions’ important role is to fight to improve labor’s welfare. Design/Methodology/Approach: This research used a qualitative approach. The research location is in East Java, with informants who are labor union in East Java, East Java Indonesian Business Association, East Java Province Wage Council, East Java Labor and Transmigration Office, and Regency Labor Office. The data was collected through interviews. Findings: This research’s results find that Labor Union’s important role influenced wage discretion implemented by the East Java governor, and Labor Union’s important role successfully decreased wage disparity. Research, Practical & Social implications: This research is still limited to important role of Labor Union in minimum wages. Future research can examine other roles of Labor Union in helping improve workers' welfare, for example contributing to improving labor regulations. Originality/Value: The study explore important role of labor union from various points of view, namely from East Java Indonesian Business Association, East Java Province Wage Council, East Java Labor and Transmigration Office, and Regency Labor Office.

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMONG TEACHERS OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BAMENDA, NORTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between distributive justice and the psychological well-being of teachers in the Archdiocese of Bamenda North West Region of Cameroon. The main research question for the study was to find out the effect of distributive justice on the psychological well-being of teachers in the Archdiocese of Bamenda, North West Region of Cameroon. The study employed a cross sectional survey research design. The sample for the study comprised of 270 male and female teachers working in Catholic nursery, primary and secondary schools within the Mankon and Bambui Deaneries of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. Data was analysed using descrpive and inferential statistics. Quantitative data were analyzed using the linear regression technique. Findings revealed that 65% of teachers’ responses indicated dissatisfaction with distributive justice in the Catholic Education Agency of the Archdiocese of Bamenda and also that there was no relationship between distributive justice and the psychological well-being of teachers and thus no significant effect of distributive justice on the psychological well-being of teachers of the Archdiocese of Bamenda. Based on the findings, the study recommended that the government should effectively follow-up, monitor and audit the channels of paying subvention funds to beneficiary private sector teachers to ensure that the money reaches the intended beneficiaries uncompromised. The study further recommended that private sector education employers should uphold honesty, accountability and transparency in the management of subventions and payment of salaries to teachers and that they allow private sector education teachers to exercise their right to form trade union to defend their labour interests.

A Survey of Forecasting the Salary for Players in National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the men's professional basketball league in North America. The National Basketball Association league has some of the highest paid professional athletes in the world. The National Basketball Association is the oldest and most prestigious basketball league in the world, which makes the study of the NBA particularly important. During the 2011-2012 season, the season was cancelled after senior staff and team members failed to reach an agreement due to serious differences of opinion in labour management negotiations. The main reason was that the NBA believed that the players' salaries were too high, which left little profit for the NBA and even increased the NBA's losses. Since the ideal interests of management and the interests of labor did not exactly match, both sides made concessions and reached an agreement. Finally, the season resumed. For most NBA clubs, the salary of each player is usually confirmed before the performance in the next game. However, this makes the question of how to determine the amount more difficult. Players’ salaries should match their performance. If the player does not meet salary expectations, the club is losing money. If a player finds that he gets paid less than his income based on 61 games that year, the club may lose that player and reputation. In this paper, we summarize previous approaches for salary forecasting and categorize them into: (i) linear regression, (ii) modelling approach, and (iii) non-linear regression and (iv) K-nearest neighbour classifier and provide guiding idea for future work.

Longer, broader, deeper, and more personal – the renewal of labour history in the Nordic countries

ABSTRACT This article deals with the recent developments of labour history in and about the Nordic countries. We identify patterns, problems and possibilities in these recent developments in the field – roughly within the last two decades. Our main source of analysis is the research presented and exchanged in the Nordic labour history journals, the Nordic Labour History Network, the labour history associations, the archives and libraries. We relate current trends to developments in European and Global labour history. We claim that the revival and expansion of Nordic labour history must also be understood through its exchange with labour history outside the Nordic sphere and with other disciplines and research fields. The expansion of the field occurred through increased attention and sensitivity to the specificities of various forms of labour, the lived lives of those who work, the places in which work takes place, the various ways in which workers form collective practices and structures, and how they understand themselves in relation to as well as within and outside the parties and institutions that organise and claim to represent workers and labour interests.

Civil legal protection of the labor rights of remote workers

This article considers the legal regulation of labor relations between employers and employees who perform the labor function remotely. The author identifies some problems of labor legislation that make it difficult to observe the legitimate interests of all participants in labor relations. Instead, the development of non-typical types of labor relations becomes an important factor in expanding the possibilities of realizing the right to work, which requires certain protection. Telecommuting arrangements are widespread today, but given the obvious risks to working conditions, regulation through legislation is needed to ensure that these working arrangements improve access to skilled work, rather than impair it. The author proposed directions for the development of labor legislation as a civil legal protection of the labor rights of teleworkers. Civil legal protection and the procedure for its regulation should be based on generally recognized international legal standards, in particular the acts of the International Labor Organization, constitutional principles regarding the protection of the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens to work and their guarantees. Also, civil legal protection should take into account the experience accumulated in Ukraine in the regulation of home work, the experience in the regulation of remote work in the conditions of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantine introduced in Ukraine, as well as the organization of labor relations in the languages ​​of martial law. The specified circumstances led to the transformation of forms of employment. Traditional forms of employment underwent modification and completely new flexible (non-standard) forms of employment emerged. Therefore, in the modern development of labor, standard labor relations are gradually disappearing, which provide for the existence of an open-ended employment contract, standardized wages, established hours of work and rest, the participation of employees in the management of organizations, their compliance with the rules of internal procedures, the existence of a collective agreement, etc. They are replaced by remote employment, which puts pressure on employees regarding the guarantees of their rights and the protection of their labor interests. The use of non-standard forms of employment leads to the growth of inequality and social insecurity of employees. Irregularity of remote labor relations has a negative impact on the country's economic development prospects, causes a certain decrease in the standard of living of workers. Telecommuting mechanisms are expanding rapidly, but given the obvious risks to working conditions, there is a need for some regulation through legislation and the remedies it provides, so that these work mechanisms improve access to decent work, not impair it. As a civil legal protection of the labor rights of teleworkers, directions for the development of labor legislation are proposed. The author of the article analyzes the problem of legislative regulation of issues of civil legal protection of remote workers, defines the forms of protection.

노동인권 교육에 대한 학습자 인식 유형화 연구

Objectives In order to prepare a curriculum improvement plan to help students understand the socioeconomic background and current issues surrounding labor with interest in labor rights issues, we analyzed how actual students think about issues related to labor rights.
 Methods This study explored the perspectives on labor rights issues subjectively perceived by J University students through the Q methodology, categorizing various perceptions into 4 types, and looked into the characteristics of each type in detail.
 Results The 4 types extracted through the QUANL program were reviewed, and a group of students with similar perceptions and attitudes was analyzed in depth. As a result of the analysis, a big difference in the subjective perception of undergraduate students looking at labor rights issues was found.
 Conclusions Through this type of classification and analysis process, improving the curriculum is suggested and the learning vital for today's undergraduate school students requires motivation. In the future, this data is expected to become meaningful basic data with which to design a curriculum centered on voluntary and active learners in labor rights education.

A Short History of the Informal Economy

When coined about half a century ago, employment in the informal economy was discussed by what it was not: formal. Addressed as a sector of the urban workforce, its definition was a summing up of descriptive traits which made manifest how people in the Global South, deprived of most or all means of production, earned their livelihood by selling their labour power. Investigating their predicament zoomed in on the restructuring of peasant economies and societies to post-peasant ones. The anticipated upward mobility, which was supposed to be boosted by the bargaining power of collective action, did not materialise. Rather than expanding formalisation of labour relations, the reverse took place. The small segment which had been promoted to and protected by regular and regulated employment was subjected to informalisation. In the onslaught of neo-liberal capitalism from the last quarter of the twentieth century onwards, labour flexibilisation and casualisation not only intensified in the Global South but also spread to the Global North. The new policies ended the brokerage which the nation–state once developed to mediate between the interests of capital and labour, leading to a worldwide shrinking of public institutions, space and representation. While the debate with regard to informality has remained firmly focused on labour and employment, I argue that corporate capital in collusion with étatist authority has not only effectuated the deregulation of paid work but also abandoned the legal code of formality ending in a state of lawlessness for the people at the bottom of the pile. In the reconfiguration, both politics and governance are next to big business as stakeholders in a regime of informality erosive of equality, democracy, civil rights, solidarity and shared well-being for humankind at large. KEYWORDS: Capitalism; trade unionism; public sector; welfarism; footloose; self-reliance

Индивидуальные и групповые интересы HR-специалистов как ценностно-смысловые регуляторы самоэффективности

Background. In modern organizations, specialists who are ready to cope with uncertainty, stress, anxiety, capable of conscious self-regulation, self-organization, and characterized by high self-efficacy are of particular value. First of all, this applies to specialists who directly work with the personnel of organizations, since their effectiveness and motivation influence the activities of other employees. In this regard, it seems relevant to study individual and group interests of HR specialists as their self-efficacy regulators in the system of personal resources. Objective. The study had its purpose to study the relationship between the self-efficacy of HR-specialists and their individual and group interests. Methods. Theoretical categorical analysis, the Maddux-Scheer self-efficacy test, the author's technique for identifying the employees' labor interests, statistical methods. Sample. Human resource specialists, N=120, 67% women, mean age 31 years. Results. Analysis and comparative evaluation of the data obtained on 8 subscales of labor interests (economic, professional, career, group, corporate, territorial, civil and general) and 2 subscales of self-efficacy (activity and social) have revealed that HR-specialists with high and medium levels of self-efficacy were dominated by the individual (economic, professional, and career) interests, while those with a low level of self-efficacy – by the group and corporate interests. It was found that professional, career, and economic interests are most associated with self-efficacy (r=0.5; r=0.485 and r=0.423 with p` <0.05, respectively). The group interests of HR-specialists are not linked to their self-efficacy. Conclusion. The identified correlation between general labor interests and self-efficacy allows to conclude: the higher the level of interest of an HR specialist in his activities, the higher he assesses his competence in solving professional problems and the more confident he is in achieving the desired result, which strengthens his self-efficacy in professional activities and ultimately affects labor productivity. In addition, the orientation of labor interests can serve as a value-semantic regulator of self-efficacy.