Drawing on recent literature from overseas, this article identifies four alternative forms of employee representation, two union-based a.nd two non-union. Using these categories, it argues that· there is in Australia a significant and growing 'representation gap'. To some degree, this gap is not new. The system of compulsory conciliation and arbitration that dominated Australian industrial relations for decades before the 1990s delivered significant support for union forms of representation, but they were less than perfect in their effect. Furthermore, nonunion forms of representation in this earlier period were poorly developed The gap, however, widened dramatically during the 1 990s. The well-known decline in union membership and contraction in the coverage and scope of collective bargaining and state regulation constitute the core of the problem. Less acknowledged, however, is the failure of new non-union forms to deliver effective representation. It is contended that the representation gap should be treated as an urgent public policy issue by Australian governments.

From the mid-1990s onwards, France has been rocked by ongoing social protests. This article considers whether and how these protests provide a strategic context for the “revitalization” of labor organizations. After providing insights into the French industrial relations system, particular attention is given to three cases: the organizing of unemployed and migrant workers, the alter-globalization movement, and recently established independent trade union Solidaires, Unitaires et Démocratiques, which epitomize emerging forces and contradictions at play. The conclusion reconsiders the revitalization thesis in the light of these cases.

Trade unionists and academic experts increasingly support the view that European Industry Federations should take a leading role in the Europeanization of collective bargaining. This article investigates whether this is a plausible prospect for the European chemical industry. Drawing on collaborative research between the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers Federation (EMCEF), the article presents a comparative synopsis of industrial relations in five European countries, including recent strategic developments at EMCEF level. The study confirms the importance of national resources and steering power at sector level, especially in relation to monitoring decentralized flexibility. However, despite growing interest in transnational labour cooperation, the conclusion is that progress towards Europeanization is so far modest. More attention in the research agenda, it is then argued, should be directed to how transnational collective bargaining can be achieved.

This article examines union members’evaluation of the relevance of unions and their identification with a traditional collective value frame for union action. It seeks to take account of the impact of increasing labor market heterogeneity, declining instrumentality, and the behavior of unions and employers. Using Canadian data gathered from individual union members and their local union leaders, the study finds that new labor market identities are notlinked to weaker belief in the relevance of unions but are associated with weaker identification with the traditional value frame. Although declining instrumentality and hostile employer behavior are associated with greater identification with traditional value frames, greater union democracy is associated with less membership disaffection on both the relevance of unions and their collective modes of action. Union democracy is therefore found to be a key tool to address membership disaffection and to generate collective identities for a renewed union project.

PurposeThis paper provides insights as to how a Confucian-inspired Junzi style of leadership translates into initiatives toward human capital development in Singapore. After reviewing tripartite governance in Singapore, we discuss the character of Confucian leadership: how does this value system inform the moral economy of the Singaporean corporatist model and inherently come to impact upon the conception and significance of human capital.Design/methodology/approachThe case approach was employed using multiple sources of secondary data, supplemented by interviews with high-profile informants in Singapore. Multiple sources led to data triangulation in presenting a mutually consistent set of evidence. The paper also draws from a longitudinal observation of Singapore's industrial relations and human resource development (HRD) policies over the last 10 years since the Global Financial Crisis.FindingsOrganized along two thematic areas: governance and human capital development, this paper proposes and finds that governance in Singapore displays an institutionalized form of Junzi leadership that translates into policymaking toward human capital development.Originality/valueThis paper brings about an Asian perspective of Junzi leadership toward management and governance. The Confucian value system intrinsic to tripartite governance provides an original heuristic lens that helps shed a light on the significance of human capital development in Singapore.