(1)	Private Dispute Settlement Round Table

Monday, May 29, 2000 15:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.
Coordinator: Arnold M. ZACK, Harvard University, USA

Continuing the process begun at the IIRA 10th World Conference, those engaged in private mediation and arbitration are invited to discuss the operation of their practice within the legal and labor relations systems of their respective countries. In prior sessions we have discussed selection, problems of conducting a private practice, professional organizations, the relationship to laws and government dispute settlement bodies, rules of evidence, decision content and writing compensation etc. The session is open to those engaged in private practice and persons interested in discussing the subject.
Those interested in participating should contact
Arnold M. ZACK at ArnoldZack@Post.Harvard.edu
zackam@tiac.net

(2)	Labour Unions and Development Cooperation - Formation of Asian Social Safety Net and Japan's Role in the Twenty First Century

Tuesday, May 30, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.
Organizer: Japan International Labour Foundation (JILAF)

    Throughout the world there are frequent religious and racial disputes. The United States, with its robust economy, appears to be one of few economic winners. Europe is seeing a shift from Neo-Liberalism to a new Social Democracy, and the Asian countries are struggling to get out of the economic and financial crisis.
    While countries try to determine the course of market economy and global mega-competition, and re-define themselves as a nation and as a society, Asian countries are also faced with their own particular challenges of creating effective social safety nets for their people. Labour unions in the region are already making strides in tackling this urgent task. In this seminar, not only will we learn about their progress, but will discuss the possible role Japan can play in supporting their efforts.

Keynote report:	Shoichiro HATSUOKA, Himeji Dokkyo University, Japan
Panelists:	Etsuya WASHIO, President, Japanese Trade Union Confederation, Japan Takashi IZUMI, General Secretary, ICFTU-APRO, Singapore Sukesada ITO, Member of ILO Governing Body and Counselor, Japanese Trade Union Confederation, Japan Ikuro TAKAGI, Japan Women's University, Japan
Chairperson:	Yoichiro YAMADA, Executive Director-General, JILAF, Japan

(3)	The Link Between International Finance, Employment and Industrial Relations

Tuesday, May 30, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Organizers:

Daniel J.B. MITCHELL, UCLA and Mahmood A. ZAIDI, University of Minnesota, USA

    There are currently international macro forces which appear to run from monetary disturbances and events to impact on labor. The two key examples are (1) the Asian financial crisis which has led to unemployment, instability in industrial relations systems, etc. in various countries. Contagion effects spread the Asian financial crisis to other parts of the world. (2) The creation of the eurozone is likely to limit the ability of national governments to deal with business cycles through both monetary and fiscal policy and this will have some impact on industrial relations systems of the EMU countries. The proposed session is as follows:

Session Chair:	Thomas A. KOCHAN, MIT, USA
Paper Presenters:	Haruo SHIMADA,Keio University, Japan "Prospects of Employment and Industrial Relations in the Wake of Asian Financial Crisis with Special Reference to Japan" Jacques ROJOT, University de Paris-I, France "The EMU Impact on Industrial Relations in EU Countries" Daniel J.B. MITCHELL, UCLA and Mahmood A. ZAIDI, University of Minnesota, USA "The Link Between International Finance and Employment" Gordon BETCHERMAN, World Bank, USA "The Impact of the East Asian Financial Crisis on Employment and Its Implications for Labor Policy"
Discussants:	Joseph S. LEE, National Central University, Taiwan Sookon KIM, Kyong Hee University, South Korea
Contact Person:	M.A. ZAIDI Director, IPD Carlson School of Management University of Minnesota 321-19th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Phone: +1-612-625-0578 Fax: +1-612-624-8248 E-mail: mzaidi@csom.umn.edu

(4)	Measures taken by executives in Asian countries, regarding human resources management and labour-management relations, in the context of globalization

Tuesday, May 30, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Organizers:

NIKKEIREN International Cooperation Center (NICC)

    Through their experiences in the recent economic crisis, employers in Asian countries have gained opportunities to review their relationships with their employees; in particular, in regard to profit sharing and more broadly, their corporate philosophy. Centering on actual cases, the experiences and basic concepts of employers will be discussed. In this, experiences in "Partnerschaft"-type management, as it exists in Japan, Germany, and possibly Korea, will be compared and discussed. To this end, if possible, we would like to invite executives from other Asian countries to participate in the series of discussions.

(5)	New Directions in Industrial Relations Research in Japan

Tuesday, May 30, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Coordinator:

Michio NITTA, University of Tokyo, Japan

   Having faced radical shifts in social and economic contexts, industrial relations are undergoing structural changes in Japan. It is clear that innovative new approaches are needed in industrial relations research to analyze the changing realities. Indeed some relevant efforts have been observed recently.
    The present seminar will provide an opportunity to introduce a new phase in industrial relations research in Japan. In the process it will consider various socio-economic changes such as transition to the service economy, diversifying working styles, the increased significance of white-collar workers, and the expanding roles for women in the labor market.
    It is hoped that the seminar discussion will help stimulate industrial relations research in Japan and elsewhere, and that it will also contribute to generate comparative research in the field.

Presenter:

Norio HISAMOTO, Kyoto University, Japan "White-collar workers and grievance procedure in the work place" Keisuke NAKAMURA, University of Tokyo, Japan "Business structure and human resource systems in the software industry" Yoshihide SANO, Ph.D Candidate, University of Tokyo, Japan "Diversifying working styles and industrial relations in the tertiary sector" Naoki TSUCHIYA, Musashi University, Japan "Diversifying working styles and industrial relations in the trucking industry" Wakana SHUTO, Ph.D. Candidate, Japan Women's University, Japan "Expanding scope of work for female workers and industrial relations in blue-collar jobs"

Discussant:

Hak Soo OH, the Japan Institute of Labour, Japan (One more person from abroad is scheduled to participate.)

(6)	Labor Law Reform for the 21st Century: Responding to Globalization and Social Changes - Japan/US/EU Joint Research -

Wednesday, May 31, 2000 14:30-17:30

Coordinators:	Tadashi HANAMI, The Japan Institute of Labour, Japan Lance LIEBMAN, Columbia University, USA Bob HEPPLE, University of Cambridge, UK Manfred WEISS, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Germany
Speakers:	Globalization and Labor Law Mark BARENBERG Commentator: Bob HEPPLE Work and Family Cynthia ESTLUND Commentator: Takashi ARAKI Aging Society Lance LIEBMAN Commentator: Hideyuki MORITO

(7)	Research in Gender meets the Industrial Relations Tradition-Consequences of Diversity

Wednesday, May 31, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Coordinator:

Lise Lotte HANSEN Coordinator for the network Gender & Industrial Relations Roskilde University Centre Postbox 260 CAT1/Social Sciences Basic Studies 4000 Roskilde Denmark Phone: +45 46 74 29 53 (direct)/ +45 46 74 29 55 (secretary) E-mail: Liselh@ruc.dk Harvie RAMSAY Chair in International HRM, Department of HRM Sir Graham Hills Building, 50 Richmond St, UK University of Strathclyde Glasgow G1 1XT Phone: +44 141 548 3555/3974 (direct/messages) Fax: +44 141 552 3581 E-mail h.e.ramsay@strath.ac.uk

   It has been acknowledged that traditional industrial relations research tended to see the subject as being primarily about white male workers in manufacturing. Even as more attention was paid to services, still those who deviated from this 'norm' were either ignored, or were treated as some sort of 'special case', rather than being given equal status which at the same time recognised and explored the implications of difference.

    Today, things have changed in some areas, especially those concerned with aspects of labour markets and labour force recruitment, motivation, development and retention. 'Diversity' increasingly provides the theme for such research, particularly that dealing with gender differences.

    The main point of this emerging research on traditions is to identify differences (or their absence), mostly between men and women, but sometimes also differences between women themselves e.g. caused by ethnicity, class, age or level of education.

    But is the industrial relations tradition able to absorb gender issues into its approach to core IR themes (collectivism, joint regulation and so forth)? The research in gender and industrial relations has a wide scope, covering e.g.: equal opportunities policies, worker participation, decentralised bargaining, HRM and HRD, work organisation and many other areas.

    Arguably it has had very little impact on the industrial relations tradition as such. This entails, for instance, important limitations in concept-building. For instance, the major explorations in theories of 'gendered organization' imply that the very way we define and think about 'industrial relations' may embody masculine ways of thinking, which in turn have crucial consequences for the way in which labour-management relations are structured and conducted.

The seminar will discuss:

1)	What problems of a theoretical nature confront research in gender & industrial relations at present?
2)	Is it possible for the research in gender and employment to contribute to the development of the IR tradition? Can apparently divergent analytical approaches be brought into dialogue?
3)	What are the consequences of making gender visible in traditional IR domains?

Some subjects for presentation:

"Diversity in European eyes", "Diversity and solidarity- on the necessity of changes in trade unions", "The challenge to the IR tradition of a gendered analysis", "Patriarchy in unions and management", "The cultural structuring of National industrial relations", "Household, gender and work: stretching the boundaries of workplace research"
The emphasis throughout will be on developing constructive dialogue between IR and gender approaches, and seeking conceptual progress in bridging any gaps.

(8)	Social Adjustment in Globalization in Asian Countries

Wednesday, May 31, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Organizers:

ILO/JIL (ASIAN ILS NETWORK)

   Globalization affects Asian countries in many ways and its impact differs from country to country.
    Under the ILO-JIL project, the Japan Institute of Labour and the research institutes in Asian countries have carried out a series of comprehensive joint investigative researches regarding impact of globalization, globalization with equity-policy for growth and the role of social actors in globalization. These research findings, including country-specific information and comparative observations, are to be discussed in the seminar.

(9)	Transition from Higher Education to Work

Wednesday, May 31, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Coordinators:

Keiichi YOSHIMOTO, Kyushu University, Japan Osamu YOSHIDA, The Japan Institute of Labour, Japan

   This seminar focuses on current developments in the relationship between higher education and the world of work in Japan in comparison with eleven European countries. The coordinator sent up to 12,000 questionnaires to graduates about three years after graduation in Japan, as a special part of an international comparative research, "Higher Education and Graduate Employment in Europe". This questionnaire survey will address the role which recent socio-economic changes play in graduate employment and work.

Session Chair:

Osamu YOSHIDA, The Japan Institute of Labour, Japan

Opening Part. 14:30-14:50 Keynote:
(1)	Keiichi YOSHIMOTO, Kyushu University, Japan -his paper will provide the keynote address of this special seminar.
Part 2. 14:50-15:50 "Higher Education and Transition" Paper Presentation:
(2)	Rolf Van der VELDEN, Maastricht University, The Netherlands (under negotiation) -his paper will deal with comparison of transition in twelve countries.
(3)	Reiko KOSUGI, The Japan Institute of Labour, Japan -her paper will deal with communarity and uniqueness of Japanese trasition.
Disscussants: Harald SCHOMBURG, Kassel University, Germany
Coffee Break. 15:50-16:10
Part 3. 16:10-17:10 "University Knowledge and Competency" Paper Presentation:
(4)	Jean-Jacques PAUL, University of Bourgogne, France (under negotiation) -his paper will deal with the relationship between university knowledge and competence.
(5)	Yuichi AKINAGA, Tohoku University, Japan -his paper will deal with communality and uniqueness of the relationship between university knowledge and competence in Japan.
Disscussants: Motohisa KANEKO, University of Tokyo, Japan
Closing Part. 17:10-17:30 Closing Remarks:
(6)	Ulrich TEICHLER, Kassel University, Germany -his paper will provide the closing remarks of this session.

(10)	Corporate Governance and Industrial Democracy

Thursday, June 1, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Organizer:	JTUC-Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards (RIALS)
Coordinators:	Takeshi INAGAMI, University of Tokyo, Japan

   The business enterprises of the world are now fighting their way to survive the fierce competition in the increasingly globalized market economy. International investors are pressing the enterprises to maximize their ROEs, "more and more, here and now." Thus, the improvement of corporate governance is often discussed for the sake of the shareholders. However, shareholders' value should not be regarded as the ultimate reason of existence for the business enterprises. There exist various stakeholders in the business enterprises besides the shareholders. Particularly, we must consider the employees who invest their human capital with unlimited liability.

    In this special seminar, we propose to discuss labour's role in the corporate governance structures and its implications for the future of industrial society in a comparative perspective.

Presenters:	Jan-Peter van den TOREN, Amsterdam University, The Netherlands(under negotiation) Jürgen HOFFMANN, Hamburg University, Germany Fujikazu SUZUKI, JTUC-Research Institute for Advancement of Living Standards, Japan
Discussants:	Ronald DORE, London School of Economics, UK

*	The RIALS will prepare the discussion paper based on their survey on corporate governance in Japan.
*	The presentations and discussions in this seminar will be published by RIALS both in Japanese and English.

(11)	Fair Labour Standards in Asia

Thursday, June 1, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Coordinators:

Kozo KAGAWA, Kobe University, Japan

   Questions on fair labour standards are frequently discussed in Asian countries. In the context of the "social clause" discourse, fair labour standards are understood as a set of core labour standards which are usually represented by a group of key ILO Conventions. It is important to note in this regard that the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-Up was adopted at the International Labour Conference (ILO's annual conference) in 1998 which illustrates those norms.

    It is well known that some Asian countries are critical towards the adoption of the social clause in international trade issues. They maintain that ILO Conventions are formulated on the basis of European level of working conditions, neglecting particular Asian conditions. This gives rise to the problem of how fair labour standards are defined and applied in the Asian context.

    Asian countries opposing the introduction of the social clause also maintain that the standards referred to as fair labour standards are difficult to implement. We have, therefore, to find out the difficulties underlying the implementation of fair labour standards in Asia. This exercise should be undertaken within the purview of a discussion on how to implement the standards in order to redistribute the wealth and social resources fairly.

    Asian developing countries have been trying, so far, to build up nations by industrialization policy strongly led by administrative authorities. For this purpose, an authoritarian system has been adopted with its policy of suppressing human rights and basic freedoms. But the so-called development dictatorship is more and more facing strong criticisms coming from various democracy movements. This trend, if successfully pursued, will alleviate working conditions of oppressed workers, perhaps with the help of fair labour standards or norms.

    The Special Seminar at the IIRA 12th World Congress will address the above-mentioned two points: The concept of fair labour standards in the Asian context and the implementation of fair labour standards in Asian developing countries.

Presenters:

Koichi OGASAWARA, Saitama University, Japan "Changing Concept of Fair Labour Standards in Asian Context Hisaaki FUJIKAWA, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan "The Reconstruction of International Fair Labour Standards" A representative from trade union leaders in Asia "Fair Labour Standards in Asia from the View of Labour" Anne TREBILCOCK, ILO, Switzerland "The ILO's Role in Supporting Asian Countries' Efforts to Respect, Promote and Realize Fundamental Principles and Right at Work" Shin-ichi AGO, Kyusyu University, Japan "Positive Incorporation of Labour Standards into the Activities of International Financial Institutions" Kozo KAGAWA, Kobe University, Japan "Japanese Role to Encourage Asian Countries to Implement Fair Labour Standards"

(12)	The Individualisation of the Employment Contract: Comparing National Experiences

Thursday, June 1, 2000 14:30-17:30

Venue: t. b. a.

Coordinators:

William BROWN, University of Cambridge, UK

Background

    The seminar is a sequel to a conference held in Melbourne in September 1998. This brought together scholars from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Britain whose research was concerned with a widespread contemporary phenomenon: the individualisation of employment agreements and the corresponding decline of trade unions as agents of workplace regulation. The papers from that conference are shortly to be published as Individualisation and Union Exclusion in Employment Relations: an International Study, edited by Steve Deery and Richard Mitchell, published by Federation Press.

Purpose

    The seminar is intended to draw in a wider range of scholars interested in these developments in order to continue and extend the debate. A possible consequence might be a further full conference dedicated to the subject in a subsequent year, leading to a sequel to this publication encompassing a wider range of countries. It is expected to attract Congress delegates to the seminar whose interests in current developments cover the area where labour law and institutional industrial relations overlap.

Form

    It is intended to achieve maximum discussion during the approximately ninety minutes available in the seminar. The first half would consist of very brief (five minutes) contributions by those contributors to the original volume who are present, essentially recalling their main thesis and updating it with subsequent findings or developments. It would then be open to other delegates to add observations from other national perspectives, leading to a more general discussion. The Chair would be expected to ensure a wide participation.

Content

    The central object of concern is the widespread recent change in the extent to which collectivist means are used to regulate employment contracts. As union power diminishes there is generally increasing procedural individualisation. Where collective bargaining continues, it is often subject to a diminution in its scope and depth. Even where trade unions are not derecognised explicitly, they may be to some degree derecognised implicitly, or the recognition decentralised from a sectoral to an enterprise level. Countries differ considerably in the extent to which these developments have been influenced by legal change, and in whether that legal change has been intended to hasten or retard individualisation. It is intended to explore the commonalities and contrasts of international experience in these issues as a stimulus to further research.

Personnel

    Those who have expressed an interest in contribution to this seminar are: William BROWN (who would act as Chair); Simon DEAKIN and Catherine BARNARD (also from Britain); Yoshifumi NAKATA and Makoto ABE (Japan); Richard MITCHELL, Amanda COULTHARD, Andrew STEWART, Bill FORD, Janet WALSH, and Stephen DEERY (Australia); and Gordon ANDERSON and Sarah OXENBRIDGE (New Zealand).

(13)	The Unemployment Crises in Industrialized Countries: Related Industrial and Labor Relations Policies/Practices/Customs; Can Asia and the West Learn from Each Other?

Venue: t. b. a.

Coordinators:

Harold OAKLANDER, Pace University, USA

    Driven to uncover more effective ways to moderate critical levels of unemployment, many experts and advisors to policy makers study the labor market practices of other countries, hoping to achieve a 'social' technology transfer. This amounts to a tacit admission that present remedies for moderating unemployment are inadequate. In the 1950's and 1960's, experts looking for innovation in labor security and productivity turned toward Sweden for lessons. In the 80's Japan was at long last discovered by the media as the most labor-efficient and employment-secure of the G-7 countries. Its unemployment rate was so far below all other G-7 countries that it is only recently, in the context of the Asian Crisis, that Japan's long, slow upward trend of joblessness has attracted international attention. Joblessness has not gone unnoticed in Japan's Asian neighbors, Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea. There public reaction to high unemployment has brought about severe social and political disruption. Currently, many commentators, both Western and Asian, recommend that their country emulate the American economic model, perhaps unaware that some social scientists warn of its inadequacies.
    In this seminar, an international group of investigators will present their comparative analyses of employment security and its correlates in a wider range of countries. With the coming of the European Union, there is much to learn from small countries. Dr. Peter Auer of the ILO will focus on Austria, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands to show that, with respect to the unemployment issue, small may be beautiful. Professors Burgess, Mitchell and Watts of Newcastle, Australia, find the OECD jobs model wanting in Australia and New Zealand. Dr. Jean-Claude Barbier of France's Center for Employment Studies will bring the jobless issue down to the level of the firm by examining human resource management decisions. Professor David Wan will discuss unemployment from the perspective of the firm; using the case of Singapore in the context of the Asian crises, he will consider human resource re-engineering as a way to increase competitiveness.
    Law Professor Philip Harvey will contribute a historical perspective by examining past experience with 'direct' job creation in response to cyclical unemployment, most notably socialist movements and the New Deal in the USA. Dr. Matthias Knuth will discuss economic restructuring and unemployment in Germany which has long tackled the issue systematically. Professor Harold Oaklander will show that, contrary to popular opinion, changes in policy and practice in unemployment 'systems' have been much greater in the US than in Japan.