CfP: The Circulation of Ideas in Labour Law Enforcement
How were labour law enforcement ideas exchanged and adapted across borders? A new Call for Papers invites scholars to explore this question at a workshop organized by our researcher Johanna Wolf, John Howe (University of Melbourne), and Rebecca Zahn (University of Strathclyde). The event will take place at the University of Strathclyde on 11-12 September 2025 and will examine the historical development of dispute resolution and compliance mechanisms in labour law.
Supported by the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory and the University of Strathclyde, the workshop aims to shed light on how enforcement ideas — ranging from arbitration and conciliation to trade union action and labour inspectorates — were shaped by international networks in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Topics of Interest
Submissions may explore:
- The evolution of occupational health and safety enforcement
- Compliance mechanisms for regulating working hours
- Direct action models, including strikes, as enforcement tools
- The role of arbitration and conciliation in dispute resolution
- The development of labour inspectorates
Papers should focus on the circulation of enforcement ideas across borders, particularly within lesser-studied networks such as the International Association for the Legal Protection of Labour and the International Association of Factory Inspectors.
Submission Details
Researchers are invited to submit a 300-500 word abstract by 14 March 2025 to Johanna Wolf (wolf@lhlt.mpg.de). Selected participants will be notified within four weeks and are expected to circulate draft papers before the workshop.
The event will be held in person with no conference fee. Financial support for travel and accommodation is available.
For more information, contact:
- Johanna Wolf (wolf@lhlt.mpg.de)
- John Howe (j.howe@unimelb.edu.au)
- Rebecca Zahn (Rebecca.zahn@strath.ac.uk)