In December 2023, the Centre for Decent Work (CDW), one of Sheffield University Management School’s research centres, hosted a 1.5-day workshop with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the United Nations agency responsible for global labour standards. The International Labour Organisation aims to promote workplace rights, encourage decent employment opportunities, strengthen social protection and enhance social dialogue on work-related issues. The event was an opportunity for collaboration between CDW members, ILO officials, academics from various UK and European Union universities and civil servants from countries including the Czech Republic, Portugal, Spain and the UK.
The workshop focused on the UN’s principles of effective governance for sustainable development, with a particular emphasis on the relevance of the principles for labour policy and labour administration (i.e. public administration relating to labour issues). The workshop considered the importance of the UN’s governance principles for the achievement of its sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth with full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Several presentations and discussions took place covering a range of topics including:
- The development of the UN’s principles of effective governance
- Social dialogue in labour administration
- Partnership building in labour administration
- The use of evidence in policy making
- The role of national research institutes,
- Indicators of labour administration effectiveness
- Private and third sector involvement in the delivery of employment services
- IT use in labour administration
- The ILO's recent general survey of labour administration
- The development of national labour policies.
Professor Jason Heyes, Director of CDW and Associate Dean for Impact and Engagement at Sheffield University Management School, who was the main workshop organiser, commented: 'I am delighted that we have been able to collaborate with the ILO and bring together such a strong group of experts to discuss ways of enhancing the effectiveness, accountability and inclusiveness of labour administration, which is critical to the creation and sustainability of decent work worldwide'.
Professor Fraser McLeay, Interim Dean of Sheffield University Management School said “the workshop highlights how the Management School and CDW contribute to the ILO's global activities relating to labour administration and labour policy and provided a fantastic opportunity for international research collaborations and knowledge exchange. Our school is globally recognised for our focus on “work futures” and the conference provided us with an exciting opportunity to share and discuss this with an international audience.”
The workshop was funded by SUMS and the ILO.
