Background

The “Future of Work Initiative” is the centerpiece of the ILO’s activities to mark its centenary in 2019. The importance of this Initiative and the proposed plan for its implementation are set out in the report of the Director-General to the 104th Session (2015) of the International Labour Conference. The report makes the case that the world of work is undergoing major processes of change. The ILO and its member States need to deepen their understanding of this transformation in order to meet effectively the policy challenges it poses and so advance our shared commitment to decent work for all and our Organization’s mandate for global social justice.

The Symposium is the first “Future of Work Dialogue” in China. As such, the Symposium aims:

• to explore the four thematic “centenary conversations” around which Dialogues may be structured: work and society, decent jobs for all, the organization of work and production, and the governance of work.
• to compare the perspectives on these four themes of government, trade unions, employers (business) and researchers.
• to make suggestions for further research, areas for collaborative action and format of future Dialogues.

Session 1 – Work and society, Decent jobs for all

The “centenary conversation” on work and society explores the place and function of work in society. The oldest purpose of work has been to meet basic human needs, even if poverty often continues to prevail at work. Other purposes often cited include socialization, personal development, contributing to family welfare or a bigger collective goal. Are these goals still valid for China and can they be met by more transient forms of work?

The “centenary conversation” on decent jobs for all explores innovative methods of distributing available work and of compensating it, the impact of technological innovation, and what it means for skills and for disadvantaged groups in society.

Session 2 – The organization of work and production, and governance of work

The “centenary conversation” on the organization of work and production explores the role of (public or private) enterprise and of finance in shaping the future world of work.

The “centenary conversation” on governance of work explores the social norms about what is fair and acceptable at work in China, the regulatory instruments that are most appropriate to promote them, the power to be used to promote compliance, and the extent to which policy coherence across international borders should be pursued.