Labor Movement and Employment Relations

Instruction

Context: The past two decades have seen a transformation, in most countries, from a traditional Industrial Relations system to a contemporary Employment Relations one.

Question: With reference to one or two countries of your choice, discuss whether this statement is correct.  Then argue whether the changes of the past 20 years have resulted in one of the actors in the employment relationship becoming more powerful than the others.

When discussing the ER actors (employers, workers, trade unions, employer associations, the state) you may like to touch on issues including wage levels, work hours, job security and job autonomy.  You must also include a theoretical framework, unitarism, pluralism, radicalism or corporatism.