Debating economic democracy: market, labour, trade unions and employers' organsations

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On Thursday 20 October, the JHU-UPF Public Policy Center, the Centre d'Estudis Històrics Internacionals de la Universitat de Barcelona, and the Aula Treball i Societat CCOO de Catalunya, will be the key actors in the seventh session of the Policy Dialogues. 

The event, which will be held from 9:30am in classroom 24.S01 of the Mercè Rodoreda Building on the Ciutadella Campus of the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), will consist of a multidisciplinary seminar with a historical and comparative perspective of labour institutions in Europe, particularly in Spain. 

El acto, que se celebrará a partir de las 9:30h en el aula 24.S01 del Edificio Mercè Rodoreda del Campus Ciutadella de la Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), constará de un seminario multidisciplinar y en perspectiva histórica y comparada de las instituciones del trabajo en Europa, particularmente, en España. More specifically, the experts will discuss economic or industrial democracy in companies. Firstly, in its more conventional form, centred on collective bargaining and the setting of working conditions, but also in its less widespread conception, which includes the organised participation of workers in management and also access to a share of capital (ownership). 

This debate, although it arose earlier, was particularly relevant between the middle decades of the twentieth century and 1980, but was subsequently overshadowed by the conservative revolution and the neoliberal consensus, especially in relation to corporate governance. This is why, despite the problems affecting the European and Spanish economies -or precisely because of them- it is pertinent to revive this debate.

The challenges ahead around the digital, feminist and green transformation of the economy require the participation of workers to properly orient and resolve them. 

Program

9:45am - Opening Lecture: Industrial Democracy in Great Britain: why has it reimained a chimera? 

• Richard Croucher, Professor of Comparative Employment Relations, Business School Research Middlesex University London

11:15am - Panel 1. Labour and labour management in Spain in historical perspective. The role of companies and employers' organisations and the relationship with workers and their trade unions

• Núria Mallorquí, Professor of Economic History and Institutions, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
• Marcial Sánchez, Professor of Economic History and Institutions, University of Seville
• Andrea Tappi, Researcher of Centro Studi Movimenti di Parma
• Mònica Pérez, Head of Occupational Health of the CCOO of Catalonia
• Moderates: Javier Tébar, Professor in Contemporary and Current History, University of Barcelona(UB)

13:15am - Break

15:15am - Panel 2. The study of labour in Spain. New sources, new approaches to gender and more dialogue between disciplines

• Mentxu Gutiérrez, Head of the Women and LGTBI Policies Secretariat of the CCOO of Catalonia
• Pere Jódar, Professor of Sociology, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF)
• Teresa Torns, Professor of Sociology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
• Moderates: Ramon Alós, Professor of Sociology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

17:15am - Closing Conference. Débattre de la démocratie économique. Marché du travail, syndicats et employeurs dans une perspective historique et comparative

• Danièle Linhart, Directrice de Recherche au CNRS. Professeure à l'Université Paris-Nanterre