Employment dynamics have considerably changed in today’s fast-changing economic environment. Changes in technology, the globalization of markets, and demographic shifts are transforming how work is conducted, who performs it, and the terms on which it is done. This evolution is reshaping traditional industrial relations and creating new patterns of employment that challenge existing legal and social frameworks of employment relations.

One of the most significant trends in employment dynamics is the shift from permanent, full-time roles to more flexible, often precarious forms of employment including part-time work, temporary contracts, and freelancing. This shift is influenced by several factors including technological change, which allows companies to automate processes and decentralize operations, and economic globalization, which intensifies competition and puts pressure on companies to reduce costs and increase flexibility in workforce management.

These changes are reshaping the landscape of industrial relations, traditionally characterized by collective bargaining and standardized work practices. As the workforce becomes more fragmented, the role of unions is diminishing in some sectors while adapting in others. Moreover, the rise of the gig economy and artificial intelligence (AI) has led to new challenges in defining the very nature of employment relationships, with significant implications for worker rights and protections.

The changing nature of work is also accompanied by shifts in expectations and lifestyles of a section of workers. Employees increasingly value flexibility and work-life balance, often prioritizing these factors over traditional career advancements. This shift requires adjustments in management strategies and workplace designs to accommodate more fluid work arrangements.

The evolving dynamics of employment necessitate new approaches to workplace practices and industrial relations. Companies and governments alike are trying to navigate the complexities of a workforce that is simultaneously more autonomous and more susceptible to market fluctuations. The challenge is to create a flexible employment framework that supports innovation and competitiveness while protecting workers’ rights and promoting social cohesion. This requires a comprehensive understanding of the shifts in industrial relations and work patterns, including the needs and preferences of the modern workforce.

Like elsewhere, India’s employment dynamics are also in flux, characterized by a duality where traditional employment coexists with burgeoning flexible job models. The advent of digital platforms in urban centers has opened up new avenues for gig and freelance work, offering flexibility and autonomy to India’s youthful workforce. It also needs to be kept in mind that the vast informal sector, which employs a majority of the population, continues to operate on the peripheries of legal and social security frameworks in several developing countries. The existing industrial relations and labour law regimes in such countries including India have largely evolved from the traditional manufacturing sector which are not suitable for the expanding services sector. These issues pertaining to the several developing countries are often neglected in the discourse on industrial and employment relations. Further, as labour is a concurrent subject, there are significant inter-state differences in industrial relations systems. These trends underscore the need for a holistic approach to industrial relations that caters to India’s diverse employment landscape.

Select Issues/Questions for Prospective Paper Contributors

•  Why do the changes in the relations of work fit into the theoretical framework and classical models of industrial relations and the changing relations of the work?
•  How have changes in technology reshaped traditional industrial relations? How do different industries both in manufacturing and services, adapt to the rise of gig and freelance work? What role do trade unions play in the modern employment landscape?
•  What are the effects of remote work on employee productivity and company culture? What are the best practices for integrating freelance workers into traditional work teams?
•  What are the challenges and benefits of managing a multinational and culturally diverse workforce?
•  How networks of relationships prevalent in the large informal economy defy the conventional notions of ‘industrial relationship’? Does the changing framework of industrial and employment relations address the world of work in the informal economy? What are the institutions of representation, including social customs and conventions, other interactions and negotiations in the informal economy and whether they are adequate? What are the lessons from some collective bargaining agreements of street vendors and contract workers from India and elsewhere?
•  What is the interface between conventional trade unions and the new institutions (i.e. labour cooperatives, labour NGOs) of representation in organising the hitherto informal work force? What are the employment relations in non-union situations?
•  What are the long-term effects of temporary and contract work on career development? How do changes in work patterns affect employee mental health and well-being? How do cultural norms impact the adoption of flexible work arrangements?
•  How does employee autonomy influence organizational outcomes? What strategies can organizations use to address wage stagnation and income inequality?
•  What are the similarities and differences in the employment relations in developed and developing countries? Which are the selected best practices and lessons for the future from the international experiences?
•  What are the effects of global economic pressures on employment practices and relations at local level? How can businesses balance cost pressures with the need to provide stable employment?
•  What are the key factors in designing effective work-from-home policies? What are the ethical considerations of using extensive workplace surveillance?
•  What are the implications of changes in the role of the State in the new economic environment, its policy dilemmas, the conflict between its economic interests and labour policies?

In Indian context, the following research issues also need to be addressed:

•  How have industrial relations evolved in India over time and what are its various dimensions?
•  How has globalization influenced industrial relations and the balance between employers and workers in India? What are the effects of international trade agreements on employment dynamics within Indian industries? How can Indian businesses address the challenges of employee retention in a highly competitive global market? What policies can support the transition of workers from declining sectors to emerging industries in India?
•  What is the degree of variation in industrial relations across states in India? What are the factors that determine such variations? How does one analyse the interplay between these variations and inter-state economic performance, especially in terms of growth and employment including competition between various state governments for capital vis-a-vis labour policies?
•  What is the role of the labour bureaucracy in maintaining a harmonious regimen of industrial relations?
•  What has been the role of the adjudicating and conciliation mechanisms set up under the industrial relations regimes?
•  What role has the higher judiciary played in setting standards in industrial relations?
•  To what extent have the industrial relations regimes hindered or facilitated economic growth and the growth of employment?
•  What has been the role of ILO in setting standards in industrial relations in India? How well does the ILO encompass the extant and emerging industrial structure in India?
•  How have tri-partite bodies and institutions functioned in the Indian context? How does one assess the role of the Indian Labour Conferences?
•  What has been the role of trade unions in influencing outcomes in the field of industrial relations? What are the challenges that unions face in collectivizing and mobilizing workers? What is the role of international trade unions in the current context?
•  What are the specific challenges in aligning industrial relations to workers in the informal sector, and to newly emerging sectors in manufacturing and services?
•  With increasing recognition of the complexity of labour structures in India and emerging structural and technological change, what are the new forms of collectivization and mobilization that have emerged on the ground? How successful have these been?
•  What have been the debates around the simplification of labour laws and what are the various viewpoints that have influenced such debates? What is the background and the factors that led to the genesis of the new Labour Codes, in particular the Code on Industrial Relations? To what extent, and in what manner, are the Codes likely to impact on the worker constituents and on the industrial relations regime? Will the Codes lead to a worker friendly as well as business friendly regime?
•  How do rules formulated under the IR and other Codes lend themselves to variations between states and what are the likely implications of these variations at the inter-state level?

The guidelines on the conference themes are suggestive only. The prospective paper writers may contribute on other relevant subthemes as well. Apart from contributions on India, papers relating to other regions and countries are also welcome. Papers can be from different theoretical perspectives, as can be the use of different empirical methodologies (e.g. quantitative, qualitative, case-oriented or mixed). Submission of original work that contributes to the advancement of existing knowledge and debates on the topic are encouraged.