The 7th JILPT Tokyo Comparative Labor Policy Seminar 2024
Challenges in Collective Labor Relations in the Context of Worker and Workstyle Diversification – Reassessing the Role of Labor Unions

The rapid advancement of technological innovation and the global COVID-19 pandemic have led to the expansion of new workstyles, alongside worker’s diversified attitude toward work and their needs for working conditions. As workers' needs become increasingly diverse, it becomes difficult to set uniform protection by labor law, resulting in a growing reliance on labor-management negotiations for protecting working conditions. However, consolidating the diverse voices of workers into a unified entity is proving to be a formidable task, and unionization rates are on the decline. In this context, the problem of inequality in society is becoming more serious.

In such circumstances, the traditional role of labor unions in organizing workers, aggregating their needs and seeking improvements in working conditions and the working environment through collective bargaining and labor-management consultation remains paramount. Nevertheless, the problem of labor unions limiting their roles to a subset of workers has long persisted in many Asian countries, characterized by dual labor market structures comprising standard/non-standard workers or formal/informal sectors. Additionally, the issue of how to accommodate individuals with new workstyles, such as gig workers and freelancers in the platform economy, within the realm of labor unions poses new challenges. Moreover, in response to declining unionization rates and the diversification of workers, some countries have been discussing alternative or complementary schemes, such as employee representative system, to collectively represent workers in workplaces, distinct from labor unions.

Therefore, the 7th International Comparative Labor Policy Seminar aims to shed light on how labor-management relations in each country are affected by the diversification of workers and work styles and how labor unions are responding to this trend, as well as the current state of labor-management relations and major issues in each country through international comparisons.

Date of the Event

March 27, 2024

Seminar Theme

Challenges in Collective Labor Relations in the Context of Worker and Workstyle Diversification – Reassessing the Role of Labor Unions

List of Participants (PDF:235KB)

Program

Opening Ceremony & Keynote Lectures

• Welcome & Opening Remarks
  "Facts to Understand Harmonious Industrial Relationsin Japanese Companies"
  Hiroyuki FUJIMURA, President, The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)

• KEYNOTE LECTURE (PDF:686KB)
  María Emilia CASAS BAAMONDE, President, International Society for Labour and Social Security Law (ISLSSL)

Session 1: Research Presentations, Part 1

Chair: Chikako KANKI, Professor, The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics

1. Presentation 1 [Australia]
   "Australian Trade Union Density in Crisis: Precarious Work and Collective Bargaining" (PDF:1.0MB)
   Eugene SCOFIELD-GEORGESON, Senior Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Law
   • Discussant: Koji KAMEDA, Associate Professor, Kokushikan University, Faculty of Law
2. Presentation 2 [New Zealand]
   "Collective Labour Relations and Labour Law in a Changing World of Work" (PDF:889KB)
   Yvonne OLDFIELD, Teaching fellow and PhD candidate, Victoria University of Wellington
   • Discussant: Shun ISHIGURO, Research Associate, The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics
3. Presentation 3 [Philippines]
   "Labor Unions in a Changing World of Work: The Philippine Experience" (PDF:949KB)
   Ronahlee ASUNCION, Professor, School of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of the Philippines Diliman
   • Discussant: Reiko NISHIDA, JSPS Research Fellow, Institute of Social Science, The University of Tokyo
4. Presentation 4 [Malaysia]
   "Evolving Workstyles, Evolving Challenges: A Malaysian Perspective on Gig Labour Relations" (PDF:816KB)
   Ravindra Kumar G Rengasamy, President, Malaysian Society for Labour and Social Security Law (MSLSSL)
   • Discussant: Yojiro SHIBATA, Professor, Chukyo University, School of Law
5. Presentation 5 [Indonesia]
   "The State of Indonesian Labor Unions: Navigating Labor Dynamics and Challenges" (PDF:1.3MB)
   Ike FARIDA, Founder and Managing Partner at Farida Law Office
   • Discussant: Akira ARIIZUMI, Research Associate, The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics
6. Chair’s Comments

Session 2: Research Presentations, Part 2

Chair: Itaru NISHIMURA, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Commerce, Chuo University

1. Presentation 6 [Japan]
   "Exploring the Current Situation and Issues of Labor-Management Relations in Japan" (PDF:952KB)
   Shinya IWATSUKI, Researcher, The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)
   • Discussant: Yota YAMAMOTO, Senior Researcher, The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)
2. Presentation 7 [Korea]
   "Diversification of Working People and Voices at Work in Korea" (PDF:1.4MB)
   Sukhwan CHOI, Associate Professor, School of Law, Seoul National University
   • Discussant: Ziwei LI, Graduate Student, The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics
3. Presentation 8 [Taiwan]
   "Navigating the Changing Landscape: Labor Unions in Taiwan amidst Contemporary Challenges" (PDF:951KB)
   Guan-Chiau, CHIOU, Assistant Professor, School of Law, Chung Yuan Christian University
   • Discussant: MinMin LIANG, Ph.D. Student, The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics
4. Presentation 9 [China]
   "The Digital Trade Union in China: A New Form of Workers' Organization Targeting the New Forms of Work" (PDF:772KB)
   Tianyu WANG, Professor, Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
   • Discussant: ZHONG Qi, Vice Senior Researcher, The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)
5. Presentation 10 [Thailand]
   "Informal Worker's Struggle for Labour Relations Rights and the Recent Legislative Development in Thailand" (PDF:942KB)
   Panthip PRUKSACHOLAVIT, Associate Professor, Chulalongkorn University
   • Discussant: TSAI Pi Chu, Ph.D. Student, The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics
6. Chair’s Comments

Chair and Commentator for Concluding Discussion Session

Takashi ARAKI

Professor, The University of Tokyo Graduate Schools for Law and Politics

Hiroyuki FUJIMURA

President, The Japan Institute for Labour Policy and Training (JILPT)

Hideyuki MORITO

Professor, Law School, Keio University

Seminar program uploaded on April 1, 2024
PDF data uploaded on October 25, 2024

Related Information

• JILPT Tokyo Comparative Labor Policy Seminar (2017-)
• Japan Labor Issues Seminar Report