The Economic and Labour Relations Review

🌱 ELRR Article of the Month

What does a truly just transition look like? In this thought-provoking article, Francesco Laruffa and Bénédicte Zimmermann challenge narrow, growth-driven approaches to climate transition and argue for frameworks that place justice, democracy and collective wellbeing at the centre of environmental change.

Exploring the intersections of ecological sustainability, labour and social justice, this timely contribution asks critical questions about who benefits, who bears the costs, and how more inclusive futures can be built.

➡️ READ IT HERE - https://lnkd.in/gB66bnY9

💡 We are looking back at our “Low Pay: What Is To Be Done?” joint conference earlier this year hosted by the, ELRR, AIRAANZ and IRRG.

The conference brought together researchers, policymakers, unionists and practitioners for important discussions on low pay, inequality and the future of work.

We’re grateful to all of our speakers, panellists and attendees for contributing such thoughtful insights and lively debate throughout the event.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. Looking forward to the next opportunity to get together.

⚡ Who pays the price of the energy transition?

In this timely article, Piotr Żuk critically examines how current models of energy transition often place the social and economic burdens on working people and popular classes, while dominant narratives frame the transition as primarily technological rather than systemic. Drawing on debates around “unjust transition,” Żuk argues that meaningful climate action must go beyond market-led solutions to address broader questions of power, inequality, labour and democratic control over energy systems.

The article highlights the need for social transformation alongside environmental change, calling for approaches that prioritise workers, communities and collective wellbeing in the shift towards sustainable energy futures.

Read more - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-economic-and-labour-relations-review/article/labour-energy-transition-and-social-change-on-critiques-of-unjust-transition-in-the-context-of-popular-classes/566CAE98C61DBAA87431F5491DCFFA8B?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Article&utm_campaign=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles&WT.mc_id=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles

📉 The hidden labour market impact of COVID-19

In this important study, Burak Kağan Demirtaş and Gül Güney examine the “discouraged worker effect” during the COVID-19 pandemic in Türkiye, revealing how economic uncertainty pushed many people to stop actively searching for work altogether. Their findings show that the pandemic intensified discouragement in the labour market, with women and lower-educated workers disproportionately affected, while rising unemployment further deepened withdrawal from job seeking.

The article highlights how crises can reshape labour force participation in ways that extend beyond official unemployment figures, raising important questions about inequality, gender and labour market recovery in the post-pandemic era.

Read more - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-economic-and-labour-relations-review/article/discouraged-worker-effect-during-the-covid19-pandemic-in-turkiye/6DA7FBE2EF56545E2CD3FD903CFD0B11?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Article&utm_campaign=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles&WT.mc_id=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles

💻 Reification, hype and the politics of AI

In this editorial, Diana Kelly critiques the growing tendency to treat artificial intelligence as an autonomous force rather than a technology shaped by human decisions, power structures and social relations.

Kelly highlights the importance of critically examining how AI is transforming work, labour relations and society while questioning the assumptions and narratives that often surround technological change.

Read more - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-economic-and-labour-relations-review/article/reification-of-ai-and-an-overview-of-this-excellent-issue/C2EF52F14ED7BDEC8B57438BC91BD06B?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Article&utm_campaign=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles&WT.mc_id=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Articles

🚨 Our latest issue of The Economic and Labour Relations Review is now available online! Dive into cutting-edge research exploring work, inequality, labour markets and the policy debates shaping today’s economic landscape.

Read Volume 36 - Issue 3 here: https://lnkd.in/gCZWN2Mm

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♀️ 30 years after the Beijing World Conference on Women, how far have we really come on gender equality at work? New research in The Economic and Labour Relations Review reveals a mixed picture while global frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the International Labour Organisation Decent Work agenda have driven progress, deep inequalities in paid, unpaid, and informal work persist worldwide.

The article highlights a critical next frontier: recognising and redistributing unpaid care work, while amplifying grassroots movements and emerging “Care Society” approaches that aim to rebalance power, time, and value. The message is clear—achieving real gender equality requires more than policy commitments; it demands structural change.

👉 Read more: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-economic-and-labour-relations-review/article/gender-work-equality-and-empowerment-policies-theories-and-activations-postbeijing/EAEC73C670E93C4B6F0A5C10CD4B848A

💡 What does a “just transition” really mean—and how can we measure it? New research in The Economic and Labour Relations Review argues that current approaches fall short, calling for a clearer framework that brings together justice, development, and policy evaluation.

By bridging environmental goals with social and economic fairness, the article highlights the need for policies that not only drive decarbonisation, but also address inequality, empower communities, and ensure no one is left behind in the transition to a low-carbon future.

👉 Read more: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-economic-and-labour-relations-review/article/towards-a-framework-articulating-justice-and-development-for-evaluating-just-transition-policies/A1CAC5135F3A039E91D48FBD6E49C5BD

🌏 As countries move to ban single-use plastics, what happens to the workers behind the industry? In the Philippines, new research shows that while environmental policies are critical, they could directly impact over 30,000 workers highlighting the urgent need for a just transition that protects livelihoods alongside the planet.

Workers aren’t necessarily opposed to change they’re willing to support plastic bans if secure, comparable jobs are guaranteed. But without clear communication, planning, and support, the path to sustainability risks leaving workers behind.

👉 Read more: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-economic-and-labour-relations-review/article/challenge-of-just-transition-for-singleuse-plastic-workers-in-the-philippines/3343FEB01DAE853488D51766AF9FA439