Central London BUIRA Report 2010-2011
The Central London branch of BUIRA has met four times in the course of the year, each time in the Westminster Business School of the University of Westminster and taking the form of a seminar addressing key current issues. The four sessions were very well attended by BUIRA members and by those with an interest in industrial relations in the London area, including from universities, trade unions and employer associations. Speakers and participants come from a range of different disciplines and organisations and many are very expert in the particular topic discussed. We meet on the last Friday morning of the month, with coffee available from 10.15 and a sandwich lunch provided from 12.30. This gives ample opportunity to discuss the presentation from invited speakers and matters of common interest, as well as to just catch up with friends. The programme aims to give fresh insights into key current issues, to present new approaches to the subject of industrial relations, and to discuss important research in the area – whether in Britain or farther afield, particularly on mainland Europe. This year’s programme focussed on changes and developments in employment relations in different regions of the globe and included:
28th January 2011 Strikes, Trade Unions and Industrial Relations in China with Dr Chris King Chi Chan (Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong) and Dr Tim Pringle (Industrial Relations consultant) M215
25th February 2011 Posted workers in Europe with: Jan Cremers (University of Amsterdam), Introduction; Line Eldring (Fafo, Norway) and Justin Byrne (CEACS, Madrid) Comparative perspectives on the new realities of posting; Kjell Skjærvø (Fellesforbundet TU, Norway) and Ian Fitzgerald (University of Northumbria) Organising migrant workers locally – and including a launch of the new book In search of cheap labour in Europe – Working and living conditions of posted workers M215
25th March 2011 Trade unions in Africa: Comparing experiences with: John Stirling (University of Northumbria) on Sierra Leone, Dr. Michael Oyelere (European Business School London) on Nigeria, and Dr. Anne Alexander (University of Cambridge) on Egypt M215
27th May 2011 The employment relation and the crisis a discussion with: Dr. Lefteris Kretsos (University of Coventry) on The future of labour law and industrial relations systems in Greece after the crisis; Kim Moody on US trade unions; and Aidan Regan (University of Amsterdam) on Irish trade unions’ response and the future of social partnership M215
Linda Clarke, Westminster Business School, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS. Tel. 0207 911 5000 extn. 3158; email: clarkel@wmin.ac.uk