The Mixed Fortunes of Irish Unions: Living with the Paradoxes of Social Partnership

We assess the fortunes of Irish unions since 1980 and, in particular, focus on the period of national social partnership since 1987. We argue that, structurally, unions have been weakened by a sharp decline in union density levels. In addition, labor law reform has not been as permissive as unions desired. However, on the other hand, we highlight that union membership in Ireland has never been higher and unions exert a strong influence over many areas of government policy. In conclusion, we argue that continuing with social partnership is the most viable option for Irish unions, though significant gains in union power are unlikely to happen.

The life and death of Irish social partnership: lessons for social pacts

From 1987 to 2009, Irish social partnership operated as a national framework for industrial relations. The contribution of the article is twofold. We seek to link the institutional dynamics of social partnership with the Régulation School's notions of modes of accumulation and regimes of régulation. This framework is used to explain the rise and fall of social partnership in Ireland. We argue that the regime of social partnership in Ireland can be divided into two distinct periods. In the first, social partnership contributed positively to a benign productivity-led mode of accumulation. In the second, it lost its economic functionality due mostly to financialisation taking a grip in the Irish economy. The conclusion is that social partnership had both positive and negative features, but it is unlikely to be repeated in the foreseeable future, at least not in Ireland.

Is social partnership the way forward for Indian trade unions? Evidence from public services in India

Trade unions in India find themselves excluded from the political process and marginalized in collective bargaining in the post economic reforms period since 1991. Influential policy analysts and academics alike have called upon Indian trade unions to engage in social partnership with employers as a route to regain influence and protect workers’ interests. Using survey and interview data from two large national trade union federations in Maharashtra India, this article examines whether social partnership is a viable option for Indian trade unions as an industrial relations approach. Findings indicate that despite a supportive labour regulatory framework which in theory should facilitate cooperative industrial relations, the ground realities of workplace employment relations coupled with state indifference and judicial interventions weakens labour’s prospects for meaningful social partnership.

Responsabilidade social empresarial e parcerias sociais: modelo relacional e estudo de caso

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo desenvolver o tema da Responsabilidade Social Empresarial bem como o uso das Parcerias Sociais como prática de atuação social das organizações, visando formular um modelo relacional entre as duas questões. Para isso, foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica da evolução do conceito de RSE da segunda metade do século XX até os dias de hoje, uma revisão dos principais conceitos e modelos de RSE utilizados na literatura acadêmica. Foi realizada também uma revisão da literatura em torno das Parcerias Sociais e de suas principais tipologias. O Modelo Relacional proposto visa relacionar quais são os principais tipos de RSE que uma empresa pode adotar e quais os tipos de parceria que melhor se relacionariam para os determinados tipos de RSE. Para testar o modelo, um estudo de caso com a empresa Nestlé no Brasil foi conduzido. Como conclusão, o que se pode observar a partir do estudo de caso é que nem sempre as organizações visualizam as oportunidades existentes na realização de parcerias sociais, e que elas nem sempre se utilizam dos tipos de parcerias sociais que melhor se relacionam com a estratégia de RSE adotada.

Barbados: public-private sector partnership

Includes bibliography

Macroeconomic success and social vulnerability: lessons for Latin America from the Celtic Tiger

Includes bibliography