The World, The Workplace and We the Workers eWork in a Global World International conference on the impact of ICT applications  on delocalisation of work, working conditions and workers

Venue: International Trade Union House, Brussels

Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 April 2002
 

Themes | Programme/Papers | Information | Sponsors

The introduction of new information and communications technologies and the spreading of e-work throughout our economies has been accompanied by major changes in the organisation of the local and global economy within and between European regions, and globally. As a consequence, we can not only observe major shifts in the location of employment, but also the implications this has on the organisation of the workplace and the individual workers around the world. However, these changes, underlying processes and consequences are often poorly documented. By presenting recent research material and confronting this with views from more theoretical and policy oriented experts, the conference will try to put the debate into a more empirical perspective based around three subthemes: the world, the workplace and we, the workers.

Themes of this conference:

the World		Within this theme the focus lies on the relocation of employment which is occurring due to the introduction of new ICT applications in everyday working life. The conference will discuss recent research material and present new data on what types of ICT business activities are likely to be outsourced or relocated, the extent of such relocation, etc. Leading experts will give their views on the implications of this process on policy-making and social theories.
the Workplace		All these developments are not only leading to a new industrial geography, with increasing regional specification in certain types of ICT activities, but they also affect the organisation of the workplace and working conditions of millions of workers around the globe. The conference will present new research material on these implications. Both consequences at the macro level (holdings, chains of production, etc.) as well as at the micro-level (teleworking etc.) will be addressed.
We, the Workers		The spreading of eWork and other possibilities offered by new ICTs not only affects the way organisations work, but also the daily working and social lives of individuals employed within these structures. Important questions need to be answered through theoretical and empirical evidence, which should strengthen the until now highly policy-orientated debate. Is there a global working class emerging? What consequences does this have on the identity and autonomy of the individual?
Programme

For more information about the scientific programme, please contact: 

Hans Verhoeven
Dept. of Sociology
Catholic University of Leuven
Van Evenstraat 2B
3000 Leuven
Belgium

tel.: 00 32 16 323184
fax: 00 32 16 323365
email: hans.verhoeven@soc.kuleuven.ac.be

Organised by the Higher Institute of Labour Studies and the Department of Sociology of the Catholic University of Leuven, in association with the European Commission, the EMERGENCE network, the Flemish Ministry of Labour, the Belgian Telework Association (BTA), the Belgian Fund for Scientific Research (FWO), the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the Institute for Employment Studies (IES).

Conference sponsors

Supported by The Flemish Minister of Employment and Tourism, the European Trade Union Confederation, CEVORA, the Institute for Employment Studies, the EMERGENCE-network, the Belgian Telework Association, the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO), and the Centre Informatique pour la Région Bruxelloise.
 

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© 2001, Institute for Employment Studies