CALL FOR PAPERS - 14th ILERA European Congress 10-12 September 2025

Durham University Business School, UK

“Navigating challenging times. The role of employment relations in addressing the problems
caused by political uncertainty and the effects of Brexit, Covid-19, migration, technological
and climate change on the workforce and labour standards.”
We live in a state of uncertainty and multiple crises, causing a slowdown in economic
development and widespread social hardship, especially affecting key workers working in
sectors that are essential for societies to function. Solving these interrelated problems requires
greater dialogue and cooperation among private and public actors and industrial relations
institutions at all levels for better coordination. The goal of the 14th International Labour and
Employment Relations Association (ILERA) Conference is to bring together academics, social
partners, and policymakers to discuss common employment challenges and strategic ways how
to overcome them.
To combat interrelated challenges, new forms of collaboration among diverse actors will be
essential to help workers and make progress in economic, environmental, and social policy
areas. National industrial relations systems and the characteristics of collective bargaining
actors in different sectors are crucial factors in facilitating coordination and cooperation.
Industrial relations systems vary in the extent to which they can protect different workforce
groups, especially atypical workers, highlighting the importance of human rights and the legal
perspectives on labour regulation to defend basic employment rights.
The Covid pandemic has revealed pre-existing inequalities and gaps in the protection of some
categories of workers and workplaces. Vulnerable workers are often women, disabled workers,
young or older workers, migrant workers, or workers from ethnic minorities working in
industries where atypical forms of employment, characterised by reduced social protection, are
widespread. These workforce groups benefit most from coordinated efforts by industrial
relations actors at European and national levels aimed at reducing in-work poverty by
introducing minimum wage standards.
At the workplace level, actions taken by human resources (HR) as responses to new and
challenging developments often depend on whether they are seen as opportunities or threats.
Urgent, immediate responses often lead to unilateral workplace restructuring, weakening
employment relations and the efficacy of collective action. When the crisis is seen as an

opportunity, HR can embed social and environmental sustainability in organisations. However,
implementing new technology to combat climate change and innovate work and the work
environment often falls outside union-management relations.
The ILERA Conference aims to shed light on the different responses to these crises used by
industrial relations actors, including short-term and long-term and coordinated and
uncoordinated responses at different levels - sectoral, national and international levels - in
fixing problems, protecting the workforce, and working conditions.
We welcome contributions that stimulate dialogue between academics from different
disciplines, social partners, policymakers, and practitioners. Submissions to the five different
Track Themes can include empirical and conceptual contributions from various disciplines,
including industrial relations, management, sociology, law, economics, psychology, and
political science, and research at individual, organizational, national, and international levels.

We particularly encourage submissions that incorporate intersectional research in gender
and excluded groups, as well as studies that address Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
and sustainability goals aimed at reducing inequality. These contributions are vital for
fostering a comprehensive understanding of how diverse identities and systemic
inequalities intersect and impact various social and organizational outcomes.

TRACK THEME 1:
Industrial Relations Adapting to Changing Times
Industrial relations has undergone significant transformations in recent years, and the world is
experiencing economic and social instability that is reminiscent of the 1970s. High inflation,
energy crises, and rising unemployment have created a turbulent environment. This instability
has brought industrial relations back into focus, with renewed attention on collective wage
bargaining and industrial conflicts, such as strikes, to address economic challenges. Trade
unions are adapting to changing times by exploring new strategies for organising and
mobilising workers. The rise of the platform and gig economy and new technologies has
significantly impacted industrial relations. Platform work and digital labour markets present
challenges for traditional labour relations frameworks, and employment relations have
increasingly shifted towards more flexible and precarious forms of work. Furthermore,
environmental and climate change and the transition to a green economy require new skills and
job roles, impacting labour markets and employment relations.
Against this background and despite all the challenges, there is clearly a renewed interest in
academia and among policymakers in collective bargaining and worker representation. Trade
unions and employer organisations are adapting to the changing landscape. For example, there
is an emphasis on expanding collective bargaining to cover non-traditional workers in flexible
working arrangements and remote work. Employment relations are increasingly focused on
promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and addressing gender pay gaps, racial and
ethnic disparities, and other forms of inequality. Although these are global phenomena,
European institutions play a crucial role in shaping industrial relations. However, the

effectiveness of these initiatives in countering these challenging trends remains a topic of
discussion. The field of industrial relations faces several theoretical and methodological
challenges. Comparative and international studies are particularly valuable in providing
insights into how countries address similar challenges.
This proposed track would encourage submissions with the following sub-themes, among
others:
• How has the recent instability affected industrial relations, and what measures are
social partners taking to address economic challenges?
• In what ways are trade unions adapting to changing times to better organise and
mobilise workers?
• How do international and European institutions influence employment relations and
social policies in the context of global competition and the evolving nature of work,
including traditional jobs, new roles, client-facing positions, and online work? Under
what conditions and why?
• How do employment relations and social policies influence gender equality within
transnational competition and traditional and online service work? What are the
factors driving gender equality at work within changing contexts?
• How do EU policies and regulations, such as the European Pillar of Social Rights and
the establishment of the European Labour Authority, aim to protect workers' rights
and promote fair working conditions in the face of de-industrialisation, productivity
challenges, and low-carbon transition?
• What types of EU and/or national regulations provide the most robust models for
protecting workers’ jobs and wages and ensuring labour and social protections in a
transnational context marked by risks such as pandemics, climate change, migration,
and employment fragmentation?
• Will the recent wave of industrial action redefine power relations between capital and
labour and between labour and the state?
• What is the impact of Brexit on industrial relations in the UK and the rest of Europe?

TRACK THEME 2:
The Role of Public Policy in IR/HR Policy in the Post-Pandemic Era
The Covid-19 pandemic is now largely in the rear-view mirror. However, the crisis has left not
only a scar but has also refracted the trajectory of work and employment, with lasting effects
that linger. As the recovery progresses, it has been argued that apart from repairing the harm
caused by the pandemic, we have a rare opportunity to build even stronger and more resilient

systems to ensure future prosperity. Work and its quality have taken on a different meaning
than before, with greater importance given to work-life balance. In this respect, the role of
public policy in industrial relations and human resources has become ever more salient to
enable and facilitate a transition from legacy systems to a more just and resilient future. The
path for public policy is further complicated by several trends that existed even before the
pandemic but have accelerated because of machine intelligence, a re-alignment of globalisation
due to super-power rivalry, climate change, and xenophobic populism. Accordingly, this track
would invite researchers and thought leaders to address the nature and dynamics of innovative
public policy and its successes and failures.
This proposed track would encourage intersections with the following sub-themes, among
others:
• Public policy for vulnerable workers who were “essential” to our survival throughout
the pandemic: the low-wage, casual, part-time, and informal workers in care work,
healthcare, food-related industries, communications and infrastructure, and other such
industries.
• Public policy developments in the regulation of digital technologies to ensure fair
treatment of workers, inclusiveness, and diversity.
• Public policy to facilitate green jobs.
• Public Policy and job quality.
• Public policy in immigration and migration.
• Public policy for a just and fair globalisation.
• Public policy for equal access to skill development for all workers.

TRACK THEME 3:
Digitalisation of Work and Employment
Adopting new digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and
cloud computing, significantly transforms work, organisations, and labor markets. This digital
transformation presents substantial challenges for both workers and their organisations.
Algorithmic management and platform work are increasingly prevalent - not only within
traditional industries like manufacturing, retail, logistics, and elder care but also in emerging
sectors such as fintech and e-commerce. This trend raises questions about managerial authority
and potentially obscures managerial decisions, making it more challenging to assign employer
responsibility. Additionally, automation of work processes continues across numerous
industries, affecting both blue-collar and white-collar jobs. Today, this development is
accelerating with the integration of AI, which brings new concerns around worker surveillance,
data ownership, and evolving skill needs.
This digital transformation also presents challenges for organising workers. It complicates
matters for both managers and employees, as well as the organisations that represent them in
negotiations over wages and working conditions. Since the mid-2010s, digital platforms in
industries such as transportation, cleaning, and freelancing have enabled workers to earn extra
income online – often as self-employed rather than employees, which makes organising

workers and negotiating collective agreements more challenging. We invite submissions on
how digitalisation is transforming work and employment as well as capacities to negotiate over
its effects.
The proposed track would encourage submissions with the following questions, among
others:
• How does the adoption of digital labour platforms transform work? What are the
benefits and challenges of integrating AI in workplaces for both workers and
organisations? What are the outcomes of the expansion of platform work into
knowledge work? What are the current trends and developments regarding the rights
of platform workers?
• What are the responses of trade unions to digitalisation and automation of work? How
is the labour movement reacting to the platform economy? Why do unions’ responses
to digitalisation vary? What new modes of collective bargaining are emerging in
response to digital tools? How do collective bargaining institutions influence the
adoption of these tools within organisations?
• How does digitalisation affect workers and their outcomes? What impacts does
digitalisation have on workers' well-being? How does this shift influence their
careers? What negative outcomes do novel technologies have on workers and society?
Which groups of workers are most adversely affected, and who benefits?
• What are the characteristics of legal frameworks governing labour law in relation to
digitalisation within different national contexts? How does digitalisation vary across
different regulatory and institutional environments?

TRACK THEME 4:
Non-Standard Forms of Work and its Implications on Workplace and Labour Market
Inequality
Non-standard forms of employment have become widespread globally since the mid-1970s.
Characterised by flexibility, these arrangements allow employers to adjust both the
composition of their workforce and the design of work. Non-standard employment manifests
in two primary ways: flexible employment relationships and flexible work organisation. The
former includes part-time, short-term, temporary, and contract-based employment, as well as
zero-hour contracts. Examples of the latter include remote and hybrid work arrangements.
Measures taken during the Covid-19 pandemic, such as lockdowns, have further accelerated
the adoption of flexible working, particularly through remote and hybrid models.
Non-standard forms of work and employment relationships have significant implications for
labour market and workplace inequality. By contributing to labour market segmentation, these
arrangements are often associated with insecure, low-paid jobs and limited employment rights.
Flexible work arrangements also exacerbate inequality, particularly gender inequality, by
limiting promotion prospects and widening the gender pay gap. Because flexible roles are
predominantly held by women with caregiving responsibilities, who often reduce hours in their

current positions, the benefits of improved work-life balance are frequently offset by
marginalisation, reduced access to training, and limited career progression.
While there is an extensive body of literature on non-standard forms of employment, further
research is needed on the conceptualisation of its various forms, the extent of its adoption, the
emergence of new flexible work arrangements, and its long-term consequences.
This track aims to explore these understudied areas, and we encourage submissions
addressing the following questions, among others.
• What are the new conceptualisations of flexible work and precarity? Which forms of
flexible work constitute precarious work? What are the various manifestations of
precarious work? What are the legal and conceptual differences between hybrid and
flexible work?
• What are the outcomes of non-standard forms of employment for workers,

organisations, and societies? How do flexible work arrangements affect worker well-
being and work-life balance? What are the career outcomes associated with these

forms of work?
• What new forms of organising are emerging for workers in non-standard employment
relationships? How is a flexible workforce being organised? What forms of worker
responses have emerged against precarious work, and what were the outcomes of
these responses?
• What are the long-term consequences of non-standard employment on labour market
segmentation and inequality? How do flexible work arrangements affect workplace
inequality?
• How have national contexts influenced the form of precarious work across countries?
How do regulatory environments shape employers' choices of working arrangements?

TRACK THEME 5:
Human Resource Management and Employment Relations in Turbulent Times
Industrial relations currently face a combination of contextual challenges and uncertainties,
ranging from de-globalisation and global value chain disruptions, technological innovation to
climate change, and international migration and its impact on rising inequality around the world.
At the same time, public policies at national and international levels push companies to
contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda, and the
implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This has an
impact on labour markets, industrial relations actors, and human resource management (HRM)
policies and practices.
HRM practices are essential for helping organisations meet contextual challenges and for
attracting, retaining, and developing talent. They also play a crucial role in ensuring decent,
sustainable work and fair labour standards, advancing gender equality, and promoting diverse
and inclusive workplaces.

This track encourages research addressing the following questions, among others:
• How are current challenges, such as global value chain disruptions, climate change,
immigration, and the pandemic impacting HRM and employment relations? What are
the implications of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the ILO’s Decent Work agenda for
HRM and employment relations?
• How are new forms of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives affecting
HRM practices and policies? How can HRM promote equitable engagement and
connect diverse groups in organisations?
• What are the institutional, social, and cultural sources of variation in HRM practices
across different countries? Are we seeing more convergence or divergence in HRM
practices across national contexts? How do national education and training systems,
legal systems, and labour market and industrial relations institutions influence HRM
policies?
• How are new developments in HR practices in the areas of work design, HR planning,
recruitment and selection, performance management, training and development, and
health and safety shaping worker perceptions, attitudes, and experiences? What are
the causes and consequences of recent trends such as "quiet quitting" and the "Great
Resignation"? How does the organisational context influence employee voice, and
whose voice is unheard, and why?
• How have HRM practices been transformed by the adoption of HR and talent
analytics, and what are the consequences of this transformation? What are the key
ethical and legal issues related to the type of HR data collected and used? What
challenges do organisations face when adopting and using novel HRM tools and
practices?

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Paper Abstract
The paper abstract should relate to one of the congress TRACK THEMES or special sessions
and contain a maximum of 250 words without any illustrations, graphs, or tables.
• Paper abstracts are to be submitted in English.
• All abstracts will be reviewed by members of the Academic Committee or appointed
reviewers.
• Accepted abstracts will be published in the book of abstracts.
• The organisers will publish only the abstracts submitted by authors who have paid
their registration fee.
Notes for authors
Submit an abstract using the conference webpage (https://durham.ac.uk/ilera2025). The 14th

ILERA European Congress submission portal will open on 14 January 2025.
Please DO NOT email us a full copy of your paper (neither before nor after the conference).
Abstracts sent by email will not be accepted.
Authors are invited to submit their abstracts to either a Research Track, a special session, or
the open sessions.
Each registered participant can submit and present one paper abstract.
The submitting author will be considered the presenting author. There are NO limitations for
co-authoring/co-authorship.
• Deadline for submitting abstracts: 31/03/2025
• Notification of abstract acceptance: 30/04/2025

ILERA membership is not mandatory, but we encourage participants to become members of
ILERA. You can do this directly via the ILERA website: https://ilo-ilera.org/

If you have any questions about the conference, please contact the organizing team by using
the following email address: ilera2025@durham.ac.uk

Further information on the conference including, for example, travel information,
accommodation will be available on the website. Please visit the ILERA 2025 website:
https://durham.ac.uk/ilera2025

Special Sessions Proposals
Submissions for special sessions are invited for ILERA 2025.
Special Session Submission Guidelines
Special sessions should typically cover topics that extend beyond the track themes or have a
special focus or idea.
Each special session proposal must contain the following information:
• Title of the proposed special session.
• Names and affiliations of the organisers (including contact information for each
organiser).
• Up to five keywords.
• A summary of up to 250 words stating the topic, idea, and importance of the special
session.
• A tentative list of participants who could contribute to the session and the role of the
participants (e.g., presenter, discussant, chair, etc.). Note that special sessions should

have a minimum of 4 participants.
• Special sessions may have a different format from a regular session, e.g., panel
discussion, longer summary talks, or a mix thereof. The session format should be
clearly defined in the proposal. Examples of session formats are paper development
sessions, presenting research papers, book presentations, round table discussions, etc.
• Proposals will be evaluated by the organising committee.

Collect this information in a Word document and send it to ilera2025@durham.ac.uk.
Abstracts for approved special sessions must be submitted according to the same schedule
and procedure for regular papers. Please note that all speakers, including Chairs, Paper
Presenters, and Discussants, must be registered participants in the conference.

Deadline for submission of special sessions: 14 February 2025

If you are new to organising a session proposal and have questions, please email
barbara.bechter@durham.ac.uk.