Theme

At the end of the 19th century, Belgian labour law was developed to mitigate the negative effects of the free market. The rules of supply and demand between unequal parties had led to exploitation, thus making social protection necessary. Elsewhere in Europe, social models were also created for national labour markets. However, during the past decades, these national social models have come under pressure, partly due to economic and financial globalisation, but also to Europeanisation, which has resulted in larger markets. This phenomenon is leading to international social competition and new forms of exploitation and exclusion. Closely associated with this phenomenon are trends to liberalise the labour market, flexibility, flexicurity and individualisation. Consequently, there is a need to reconcile a global labour market with the fundamental principle of ‘decent work’.

Convinced of the importance of these new trends for PhD research in different EU Member States,

the Social Law Unit and the Centre For Law and Cosmopolitan Values are organising an international PhD seminar on the topic of “Globalisation, Europeanisation and labour law”. The aim of the seminar is to discuss and reflect on the difficulties and challenges of employment in a more global labour market.

Programme

09.30 – 10.00Registration and Coffee

10.00 – 10.10Welcoming speech by

Prof. A. Verschoren, Dean of

the University of Antwerp

10.10 – 10.30 Welcoming speech by

Prof. M. Rigaux (Social Law Unit)

and Prof. G. Pavlakos (Centre For

Law and Cosmopolitan Values)

SESSION 1. GLOBALISATION AND EMPLOYMENT FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

Chairman : J. PEETERS (UA)

10.30 – 11.00Globalisation and Employment from a WTO perspective (A. Herwig, UA)

Respondent

11.00 – 11.30Discussion

11.30 – 12.00Globalisation, Europeanisation and Decent Work (H. De Block and

K. Reyniers, UA)

Respondent

12.00 – 12.30Discussion

12.30 – 13.30Lunch

SESSION 2. EUROPEAN TRENDS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN NATIONAL LAW

Chairman : F. Dorssemont

(Universiteit Utrecht en K.U.L.)

13.30 – 14.00Flexicurity: the end of labour law or a new beginning?

(W. Vande Putte, K.U.L.)

Respondent : C.W.G. Rayer (Universiteit van Amsterdam)

14.00 – 14.30Discussion

14.30 – 15.00The fundamental right to collective action vs. ‘fundamental’ market

freedoms (J. Buelens, UA)

Respondent

15.00 – 15.30Discussion

15.30 – 15.45Coffee

15.45 – 16.45General debate and conclusions:

Europeanisation and globalisation vs. labourlaw: curse or blessing?

Decent work in a global labour market

17.00 – 18.00Drink

18.00 Dinner

Venue

University of Antwerp

Hof van Liere

Prinsstraat 13

2000 Antwerp

Information and

Registration

Registration

PhD Students can participate by sending an

e-mail to

(before 15 November 2008)

Participating is free (except for the dinner)

For more information, please contact

Jan Buelens (UA)

or

Kelly Reyniers (UA)

Social Law Unit :

Centre For Law and Cosmopolitan Values :

Europeanisation and globalisation

vs. labour law: curse or blessing?

INTERNATIONAL PHD SEMINAR

Antwerp

8 December 2008

Social Law Unit

in cooperation with the

Centre For Law and Cosmopolitan Values