Managing the Margins : Gender, Citizenship, and the International Regulation of Precarious Employment

This book explores the precarious margins of contemporary labour markets. Over the last few decades, there has been much discussion of a shift from full-time permanent jobs to higher levels of part-time and temporary employment and self-employment. Despite such attention, regulatory approaches have not adapted accordingly. Instead, in the absence of genuine alternatives, old regulatory models are applied to new labour market realities, leaving the most precarious forms of employment intact. The book places this disjuncture in historical context and focuses on its implications for workers most likely to be at the margins, particularly women and migrants, using illustrations from Australia, the United States, and Canada, as well as member states of the European Union. Managing the Margins provides a rigorous analysis of national and international regulatory approaches, drawing on original and extensive qualitative and quantitative material. It innovates by analyzing the historical and contemporary interplay of employment norms, gender relations, and citizenship boundaries. Oxford U. Press - Managing the Margins (2010) (ATTiCA)......Page 1 Contents......Page 12 List of Figures......Page 16 List of Tables......Page 17 List of Abbreviations......Page 18 Introduction......Page 20 Precarious Employment......Page 21 The Normative Model of Employment......Page 22 The Gender Contract......Page 25 Citizenship Boundaries......Page 28 Regulations at Different Scales......Page 32 A Multi-Method Approach......Page 34 The Book in Brief......Page 36 1. Forging a Gender Contract in Early National and International Labour Regulation......Page 45 Select National Developments, 1830s–1930s......Page 46 Hours and Night Work......Page 47 Wages......Page 51 Dangerous Substances and Occupations......Page 53 Maternity Protection......Page 55 International Developments, 1870s–1919......Page 56 Consensus and Contestation around Protecting Women, 1878–1913......Page 57 The Consolidation of Female Caregiving and the Birth of the ILO, 1919......Page 62 Preparing the Ground for the SER......Page 67 2. Constructing and Consolidating the Standard Employment Relationship in International Labour Regulation......Page 70 The Bilateral Employment Relationship......Page 71 Standardized Working Time......Page 73 Continuous Employment......Page 77 Reinforcing the Pillars: Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining......Page 80 Migrant Work......Page 81 Equal Remuneration, Maternity, and Social Security......Page 84 Non-Discrimination......Page 86 The Resilience of the Baseline......Page 89 3. The Partial Eclipse of the SER and the Dynamics of SER-Centrism in International Labour Regulations......Page 92 The Declining Significance of Full-Time Permanent Employment......Page 93 The Expansion of Non-Standard Employment......Page 97 SER-Centrism at the Margins of Late-Capitalist Labour Markets......Page 99 Continuing Adjustments to the Crumbling Gender Contract, 1975–1990......Page 100 Consolidating a Multi-Tiered Framework for Migrant Workers’ Protection......Page 101 The Social Declaration (1998) and ‘Decent Work’ (1999, 2008)......Page 104 Regulating Part-Time, Fixed-Term, Temporary Agency Work, and Self-Employment......Page 106 4. Regulating Part-Time Employment: Equal Treatment and its Limits......Page 114 The Deterioration of Standardized Working Time......Page 115 SER-Centric Responses to Precariousness in Part-Time Employment: The ILO Convention on Part-Time Work (1994)......Page 119 Regulating Part-Time Employment in Australian......Page 122 The Management of the Margins of the Australian Labour Market......Page 124 Dynamics of Part-Time Casual Employment in Australia: Gendered Precariousness......Page 126 Strategies for Limiting Precariousness amongst Part-Time Workers in Australia......Page 128 ‘Work Choices’......Page 133 The Australian Labor Party: Working with Work Choices......Page 134 Lessons from Australia and Alternative Possibilities......Page 136 5. Regulating Temporary Employment: Equal Treatment, Qualified......Page 145 The Erosion of the Open-Ended Employment Relationship......Page 147 European Employment Policy Framing Directives on Fixed-Term and Temporary Agency Work......Page 152 The EU Directive on Fixed-Term Work (1999)......Page 155 Regulating Temporary Agency Work in the EU 15......Page 159 National Regulations in the EU 15, Mid-1970s–Early 2000s......Page 160 Contemporary Dynamics of Temporary Agency Work in the EU 15......Page 162 EU-Level Attempts at Regulating Temporary Agency Work, 2000–2008......Page 166 The Directive on Temporary Agency Work (2008)......Page 171 Lessons from the EU 15 and Alternative Possibilities......Page 175 6. Self-Employment and the Regulation of the Employment Relationship: From Equal Treatment to Effective Protection......Page 184 The Destabilization of the Employment Relationship at the Crux of the SER......Page 186 SER-Centric Responses to Precariousness in Work for Remuneration at Cusp of the Employment Relationship: ILO Actions, 1990–2006......Page 191 The ILO Recommendation on the Employment Relationship (2006)......Page 195 Approaches to Regulating Self-Employment in Industrialized Market Economy Countries......Page 202 Maximizing Enterprise Work: The Australian Case......Page 203 Promoting Entrepreneurship and Protecting Economically Dependent Workers: EU Approaches......Page 206 Lessons from Industrialized Market Economy Countries and Alternative Possibilities......Page 215 7. Alternatives to the SER......Page 227 Why there is No Returning to the SER......Page 228 A Tiered SER......Page 231 A ‘Flexible SER’......Page 234 ‘Beyond Employment’......Page 237 Towards an Alternative Imaginary......Page 243 Appendix A: Table of Selected International Labour Regulations, 1906–2008......Page 249 Appendix B: List of International Labour Conferences Observed......Page 252 Appendix C: List of Interviews......Page 253 Appendix D: Data Sources and Notes for Statistical Figures and Tables......Page 255 Bibliography of Primary Sources......Page 262 Bibliography of Secondary Sources......Page 275 A......Page 310 B......Page 311 C......Page 312 E......Page 314 F......Page 316 G......Page 317 I......Page 318 L......Page 320 M......Page 321 N......Page 322 P......Page 323 R......Page 324 S......Page 325 T......Page 327 U......Page 328 W......Page 329 Z......Page 330 Oxford U. Press - Managing the Margins (2010) (ATTiCA) 1 Contents 12 List of Figures 16 List of Tables 17 List of Abbreviations 18 Introduction 20 Precarious Employment 21 An Integrated Analysis 22 The Normative Model of Employment 22 The Gender Contract 25 Citizenship Boundaries 28 Regulations at Different Scales 32 A Multi-Method Approach 34 The Book in Brief 36 1. Forging a Gender Contract in Early National and International Labour Regulation 45 Select National Developments, 1830s–1930s 46 Hours and Night Work 47 Wages 51 Dangerous Substances and Occupations 53 Maternity Protection 55 International Developments, 1870s–1919 56 Consensus and Contestation around Protecting Women, 1878–1913 57 The Consolidation of Female Caregiving and the Birth of the ILO, 1919 62 Preparing the Ground for the SER 67 2. Constructing and Consolidating the Standard Employment Relationship in International Labour Regulation 70 Constructing the Pillars of the SER: The Interwar and Immediate Postwar Years 71 The Bilateral Employment Relationship 71 Standardized Working Time 73 Continuous Employment 77 Reinforcing the Pillars: Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining 80 Migrant Work 81 Stripping the SER of its Exclusions: The Era of Formal Equality 84 Equal Remuneration, Maternity, and Social Security 84 Non-Discrimination 86 The Resilience of the Baseline 89 3. The Partial Eclipse of the SER and the Dynamics of SER-Centrism in International Labour Regulations 92 A Portrait of the SER in Australia, Canada, the EU 15, and the United States, 1980s–2006 93 The Declining Significance of Full-Time Permanent Employment 93 The Expansion of Non-Standard Employment 97 SER-Centrism at the Margins of Late-Capitalist Labour Markets 99 Continuing Adjustments to the Crumbling Gender Contract, 1975–1990 100 Consolidating a Multi-Tiered Framework for Migrant Workers’ Protection 101 The Social Declaration (1998) and ‘Decent Work’ (1999, 2008) 104 Regulating Part-Time, Fixed-Term, Temporary Agency Work, and Self-Employment 106 4. Regulating Part-Time Employment: Equal Treatment and its Limits 114 The Deterioration of Standardized Working Time 115 SER-Centric Responses to Precariousness in Part-Time Employment: The ILO Convention on Part-Time Work (1994) 119 Regulating Part-Time Employment in Australian 122 The Management of the Margins of the Australian Labour Market 124 Dynamics of Part-Time Casual Employment in Australia: Gendered Precariousness 126 Strategies for Limiting Precariousness amongst Part-Time Workers in Australia 128 ‘Work Choices’ 133 The Australian Labor Party: Working with Work Choices 134 Lessons from Australia and Alternative Possibilities 136 5. Regulating Temporary Employment: Equal Treatment, Qualified 145 The Erosion of the Open-Ended Employment Relationship 147 SER-Centric Responses to Precariousness in Temporary Employment in the EU 152 European Employment Policy Framing Directives on Fixed-Term and Temporary Agency Work 152 The EU Directive on Fixed-Term Work (1999) 155 Regulating Temporary Agency Work in the EU 15 159 National Regulations in the EU 15, Mid-1970s–Early 2000s 160 Contemporary Dynamics of Temporary Agency Work in the EU 15 162 EU-Level Attempts at Regulating Temporary Agency Work, 2000–2008 166 The Directive on Temporary Agency Work (2008) 171 Lessons from the EU 15 and Alternative Possibilities 175 6. Self-Employment and the Regulation of the Employment Relationship: From Equal Treatment to Effective Protection 184 The Destabilization of the Employment Relationship at the Crux of the SER 186 SER-Centric Responses to Precariousness in Work for Remuneration at Cusp of the Employment Relationship: ILO Actions, 1990–2006 191 The ILO Recommendation on the Employment Relationship (2006) 195 Approaches to Regulating Self-Employment in Industrialized Market Economy Countries 202 Maximizing Enterprise Work: The Australian Case 203 Promoting Entrepreneurship and Protecting Economically Dependent Workers: EU Approaches 206 Lessons from Industrialized Market Economy Countries and Alternative Possibilities 215 7. Alternatives to the SER 227 Why there is No Returning to the SER 228 A Tiered SER 231 A ‘Flexible SER’ 234 ‘Beyond Employment’ 237 Towards an Alternative Imaginary 243 Appendix A: Table of Selected International Labour Regulations, 1906–2008 249 Appendix B: List of International Labour Conferences Observed 252 Appendix C: List of Interviews 253 Appendix D: Data Sources and Notes for Statistical Figures and Tables 255 Bibliography of Primary Sources 262 Bibliography of Secondary Sources 275 Index 310 A 310 B 311 C 312 D 314 E 314 F 316 G 317 H 318 I 318 J 320 K 320 L 320 M 321 N 322 O 323 P 323 Q 324 R 324 S 325 T 327 U 328 V 329 W 329 Y 330 Z 330 Precarious Employment -- An Integrated Analysis -- Regulations At Different Scales -- A Multi-method Approach -- The Book In Brief -- Forging A Gender Contract In Early National And International Labour Regulation. Select National Developments, 1830s-1930s ; International Developments, 1870s-1919 ; Preparing The Ground For The Ser -- Constructing And Consolidating The Standard Employment Relationship In International Labour Regulation. Constructing The Pillars Of The Ser : The Interwar And Immediate Postwar Years ; Stripping The Ser Of Its Exclusions : The Era Of Formal Equality ; The Resilience Of The Baseline -- The Partial Eclipse Of The Ser And The Dynamics Of Ser-centrism In International Labour Regulations. A Portrait Of The Ser In Australia, Canada, The Eu 15, And The United States, 1980s-2006 ; Ser-centrism At The Margins Of Late-capitalist Labour Markets ; Regulating Part-time, Fixed-term, Temporary Agency Work, And Self Employment -- Regulating Part-time Employment : Equal Treatment And Its Limits. The Deterioration Of Standardized Working Time ; Ser-centric Responses To Precariousness In Part-time Employment : The Ilo Convention On Part-time Work (1994) ; Regulating Part-time Employment In Australia ; Lessons From Australia And Alternative Possibilities -- Regulating Temporary Employment : Equal Treatment, Qualified. The Erosion Of The Open-ended Employment Relationship ; Ser-centric Responses To Precariousness In Temporary Employment In The Eu ; Regulating Temporary Agency Work In The Eu 15 ; Lessons From The Eu 15 And Alternative Possibilities -- Self-employment And The Regulation Of The Employment Relationship : From Equal Treatment To Effective Protection. The Destabilization Of The Employment Relationship At The Crux Of The Ser ; Ser-centric Responses To Precariousness In Work For Renumeration At Cusp Of The Employment Relationship : Ilo Actions, 1990-2006 -- Approaches To Regulating Self-employment In Industrialized Market Economy Countries ; Lessons From Industrialized Market Economy Countries And Alternative Possibilities -- Alternatives To The Ser. Why There Is No Returning To The Ser ; A Tiered Ser ; A 'flexible Ser' ; 'beyond Employment' ; Towards An Alternative Imaginary. Leah F. Vosko. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 243-289) And Index. "This book explores the precarious margins of contemporary labour markets. Over the last few decades, there has been much discussion of a shift from full-time permanent jobs to higher levels of part-time and temporary employment and self-employment. Despite such attention, regulatory approaches have not adapted accordingly. Instead, in the absence of genuine alternatives, old regulatory models are applied to new labour market realities, leaving the most precarious forms of employment intact. The book places this disjuncture in historical context and focuses on its implications for workers most likely to be at the margins, particularly women and migrants, using illustrations from Australia, the United States, and Canada, as well as member states of the European Union." "Managing the Margins provides a rigorous analysis of national and international regulatory approaches, drawing on original qualitative and quantitative material. It innovates by analysing the historical and contemporary interplay of employment norms, gender relations, and citizenship boundaries."--Jacket Using examples from Canada, the US, Australia and the EU, this work probes national and international regulatory responses to the shift from full-time permanent jobs towards part-time, temporary and self-employment. It analyzes their implications for workers most often precariously employed, particularly women and migrants