Power, Politics, and Influence at Work

Help build workers’ rights and a better future for employment and society

With the world of work in unprecedented flux, the role of workers’ rights has never been more pressing, as society grapples with issues such as how to ensure better employment equity and safety.

On this course, you will get an introduction to the world of ‘work and employment studies’ (WES), from experts at the Work and Equalities Institute at the University of Manchester, the Department of Work and Employment Studies at the University of Limerick, and Leeds University Business School.

You’ll explore how global employment conditions have become ever more fragmented and unequal, before examining the different frameworks of power and politics that relate to your workplace, learning how employees can find a voice through trade unions.

Ultimately you’ll explore what the future of work and equalities themselves could look like – and how employment could become more just.

“Almost everyone has to work, but why is it so unequal? This unique, timely, and engaging course pulls back the curtain to reveal the sources of power differentials and ways to redress them. Take this course to become empowered in your work, it’s critically important”

Professor John W. Budd (University of Minnesota, USA)

“The course ‘power, politics and influence at work’ comes highly recommended. It offers a stimulating and engaging way to learn and debate contemporary challenges people face in the world of work”.

Carl Roper, Trades Union Congress (TUC), National Education & Organising Manager

“SIPTU College appreciate the online ‘Power, politics and influence at work’ course … It provides a natural link to our Trade Union Studies programme … the format is really engaging and the content thought-provoking”.

Tish Gibbons, Head of SIPTU College, Dublin

This course would appeal to workplace representatives and trade unionists, as well as those who work or volunteer for social and political movements concerned with labour and citizenship rights.

It would also benefit policymakers and policy influencers.

• Introductions: power, work and employment studies
• Hello and welcome
• Introducing Work & Employment Studies
• Defining work, power and influence
• Labour indeterminacy and frames of reference
• Summarising week 1 and moving to week 2
• History, global capitalism and the importance of contexts
• Introducing week 2
• The importance of historical legacies
• Globalisation and financialisation
• The fragmentation of work
• The gig-economy and new (digital) technologies
• The future of work
• Summarising week 2 and moving to week 3
• The state, the law and equality
• The state, the law and equality
• The role of the state as a work and employment relations actor
• The changing nature of employment law
• Regulating for equality.
• Summarising week 3 and moving to week 4
• Who speaks for whom?
• Introducing worker voice
• Institutional voice
• Union voice
• Partnerships and collective bargaining
• 'Non-union voice and CSO/NGO voices beyond the workplace
• Summarising week 4 and moving to week 5
• The future of power, politics and influences at work
• Introduction to week 5
• Future Development 1: Are things getting worse?
• Future Development 2: Reinvigorated (minimal) state roles
• Future Development 3: Soft re-regulation & voluntary dialogue
• Future Development 4: Collective alliance-building and mobilisation
• Summarising week 5 (and course conclusion)