Call for papers: Labour Inspection in a Global Context

Labour inspectorates ensure that employers comply with labour laws and regulations that protect the rights and safety of workers. However, they also face challenges and opposition from employers and employees because of the divergent interests between these two groups. For example, employers may see labour inspections as a source of excessive regulation that interfere with their economic interests. Unions and labour movements, in turn, may view labour inspections as inadequate and ineffective in enforcing labour standards and ensuring the protection of workers’ rights in terms of working hours and safety.

We invite researchers from all relevant disciplines to submit abstracts for the conference on the history of labour inspectorates across the globe, which will be held on 10 and 11 October 2024 in Amsterdam, at the International Institute for Social History.

The deadline for submittion is 15 January 2024.

The conference will explore how labour inspectorates have fulfilled their role as mediators between workers and employers, and how this role has evolved over time in response to changing political, economic, and social contexts. It also raises the question of how labour inspectorates compete with or are at least challenged by alternative forms of labour protection, such as self-regulating industry standards.

We welcome submissions from historians, sociologists, political scientists, legal scholars, and other researchers who engage with the history of labour inspectorates. We encourage interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives, and we also welcome papers that draw on comparative or cross-national perspectives.

Further information can be found on the Social History Portal website.