Conference Agenda

Introduction

How warehouse work is conducted has undergone substantial technological change, including robotics and digital technologies interacting with human labour. Advances in e-commerce tools can control labour tasks, monitor workers, and re-shape labour market institutions and forms of worker participation. Leading organisations in the sector, such as Amazon, have actively resisted unionisation and collective bargaining. What is less clear is what is happening in the many smaller e-commerce fulfilment providers and how small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) re-configure employment due to Amazon’s dominance of the sector.

Research Question

The core research question is ‘to what extent do SME e-commerce fulfilment centres in the UK converge with or diverge from Amazon’s work and employment practices?

Framing and Theory

The research draws on the concept of mimetic isomorphism, which explores how institutions, labour agency, and firms adapt/adopt practices of dominant enterprises. Employment conditions may be replicated to remain competitive, or to meet expectations of other international labour market actors or institutions, by copying the employment arrangements of leading firms. These may include trade unions and/or works councils, but also, potentially, anti- or non-union systems for worker participation. Larger and foreign MNEs often compel local partners to adopt specific standards to maintain contracts, shaping their employment conditions. Additionally, intense competition within product markets often forces domestic firms to prioritise short-term operational efficiency and cost reduction over long-term investments in advanced technologies.

Methods

This data is from interviews across 35 UK-based SME e-commerce and third-party logistics (3PL) fulfilment warehouses. All the cases are matched as competitors with Amazon. The research deploys an ‘expert interview’ methodology with senior actors in 35 fulfilment firms across all parts of the UK (constituting c20% of firms in the sector). Additional qualitative interviews with senior members for (currently) 5 warehouse software solutions firms, who advise on work technologies for firms in the sector, along with 6 interviews from the sectoral employer association. The data is analysed thematically relating to how work, technology and social dialogue is (re)configured in a sector dominated by Amazon.

Analysis and Contribution

The evidence makes a distinctive contribution to the role of institutions and agency in a sector subject to large MNC dominance-effects. Analysis also sheds insight on a diverse interplay of human agency subject not always to digital transformation and control, but the endurance of low-tech workplace experiments.

Trade unions play a crucial role in safeguarding decent working conditions and ensuring employees' voices are heard. However, in Zimbabwe, trade unionism is facing a significant decline, which, if unaddressed, could lead to its extinction. To revitalize trade unionism, particularly in the banking sector, both trade unionists and employees must explore innovative ideas. The sharp decline in trade union membership is closely associated with deteriorating employment conditions. It is believed that reviving trade unionism can help restore dignity in the workplace. This study aims to develop a sustainable framework for trade unionism by drawing on insights from trade unionists and bank employees. To achieve this objective, the researcher examines the root causes behind the decline of trade unionism and explores the evolving roles that trade unions can adopt within the sector. A qualitative methodology has been employed to create a well-informed framework for sustainable trade unionism. The first phase of the research process consisted of face-to-face interviews with members of the Zimbabwe Banks and Allied Workers Union (ZIBAWU) and employees from three participating banks. The interviews reached saturation after the 15th session, at which point no new information was emerging. The second phase focused on conducting focus group discussions to explore and analyze the themes identified during the interviews. Only those themes that were confirmed in the focus group discussions were included in the final framework. Data analysis was conducted in three stages: open coding, selective coding, and axial coding, utilizing NVivo version 15 software. Ethical considerations were paramount throughout the study; informed consent was obtained from participating institutions. The identities of all participants were protected at all times, during and after the investigation. To ensure data trustworthiness, a member-checking process was implemented, where findings were shared with participants for their confirmation prior to publication. The results indicate that factors such as the technological revolution, rising unemployment, economic challenges, and the emergence of new workplace demographics, particularly among Generation Y and Z, are contributing to the decline of trade unionism. The proposed framework emphasizes new roles for trade unions, including the promotion of flexible work arrangements, the use of social media for mobilizing workers, advocating for diversity and inclusion, remaining apolitical, raising mental health awareness, and facilitating reskilling in response to advancements in artificial intelligence and technology. The study recommends that trade unions adopt this framework to remain relevant and effectively promote decent work.

After decades of rising inequality and a growing imbalance in power between employers and employees, calls for workplace democratization and increased worker participation have gained momentum. However, the debate over employee representation remains highly polarized. Critics argue that it creates inefficiencies, deters investment, and diminishes firm performance, leaving all stakeholders worse off. Proponents counter that it fosters infor-

mation sharing, strengthens job security, improves wages, and ultimately enhances firm performance and long-term competitiveness. Empirical evidence on the effects of worker representation, however, remains inconclusive. Existing studies focus on a limited number of countries, primarily Germany and Scandinavian countries, and often rely on simple comparisons that fail to address endogeneity concerns stemming from pre-existing differences between firms with and without employee representation. In this paper, we contribute to this debate by empirically estimating the effects of worker voice institutions

on both job quality and firm performance. We focus on the 2015 introduction of a legal mandate for board-level employee representation in French firms employing at least 1,000 permanent workers for two consecutive years. Using rich linked employer-employee data, we employ two complementary empirical approaches—a difference-in-differences design and a difference-in-discontinuity design—to exploit exogenous variations in the timing and eligibility for the policy. Our findings are mixed but insightful. We observe that board-level employee representation has either negligible or small positive effects on wages and job security. However, we find no evidence of significant changes in labor productivity, profit margins, or capital intensity. Crucially, we do not detect any adverse effects on job quality or firm performance, challenging the critics’ view that such policies harm firms.

This research analyzes the effectiveness of integrating transnational and local bargaining agreements to enhance working conditions and promote environmental sustainability within global value chains. It focuses on the impact of the triple transition – demographic, ecological, and technological – on the labor market, specifically examining the implications of the ecological transition.

The European Green Deal, Regulation (EU) 2021/1119, and the "Fit for 55" package represent an unparalleled process of economic and social transformation. These initiatives provide an ambitious framework to guide Europe towards a climate-neutral future, with specific goals for reducing emissions, promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable mobility. However, it is crucial to recognize that the European context, even if characterized by its complexities and challenges, does not provide a direct footprint for developing countries: while Europe is undertaking ambitious efforts to decarbonize its industrial sector, developing countries are grappling with the ecological transition within a context of economic, political and social vulnerability.

Decarbonization policies are significantly impacting developing economies that supply mineral raw materials. These nations, already facing complex development challenges, may experience further adverse effects from the ecological transition, potentially affecting production, employment, and export revenues. For instance, the shift to a low-carbon economy increases demand for minerals like lithium and cobalt, essential for green technologies, which could strain natural resources and risk exploitation, including unsustainable mining practices and negative environmental and social impacts. A holistic approach to the ecological transition is essential, and shall consider the entire value chain.

Proximity contracts, as tools to adapt bargaining to local needs, can promote cooperation between companies and workers to address specific local issues. At the same time, IFAs offer a broader scope, regulating the entire value chain at the global level. These agreements, as highlighted by the ILO and Eurofound, are important to support workers’ rights and promote sustainability standards along global supply chains: IFAs can counter social and environmental dumping practices, strengthen fundamental labor rights, and promote corporate due diligence on human rights and the environment.

The study aims to provide insights into how integrating transnational and local agreements can enhance working conditions, promote environmental sustainability, and ensure social inclusivity. It seeks to contribute to the development of effective strategies for navigating the complexities of the transition and achieving a just and sustainable future.