Conference Agenda

This panel will explore the debate about revaluing work and ensuring decent working conditions which was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic for frontline/ key/ essential workers. The issue of revaluing work extends beyond frontline workers and covers a whole range of other occupations and workers, and this panel will critically engage in this debate. In addition, the debate on revaluing work is also linked to the on-going energy prices and the cost-of-living crisis, which are further eroding standards of living. This has caused widespread strikes over pay which did not occur when inflation was low. In this context some of the key issues that the panel will discuss include the notion of how we understand and measure the value of labour; some of the main problems and risks of valuing labour, and how certain types of tasks are valued; and why was essential work not revalued during the COVID-19 pandemic and what should be the key policy priorities to improve the value of labour.