Combatting exploitation of migrant temporary agency workers through sectoral self-regulation in the UK and the Netherlands

The recent growth of precarious work has sparked a vivid debate on whether this tendency can be reversed by the social partners through sectoral self-regulation. In this sectoral case study of the temporary work agencies sector in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the views, approaches, power and interaction between trade unions and employers’ organizations are studied in the context of increasing labour migration in the decade following European Union enlargement. The results show that the employers’ organizations have been leading actors in self-regulation, seeking collaboration with trade unions in the Netherlands. In both countries, trade unions have taken an inclusive approach but had little power to affect the deterioration of employment conditions. It has proven difficult to the social partners to reverse the process of increasing precarious work and exploitation. Strict regulatory frameworks imposed by the government are needed to turn a vicious circle into a virtuous one.

Neoliberalism and precarious work in nursing in the COVID-19 pandemic: repercussions on mental health

Objective: to understand how the contradictions and tensions of neoliberal policy, materialized in precarious work, affect nursing workers’ mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: this is a study with a qualitative and descriptive approach, analyzed in the light of neoliberal economic policy. Data were collected through virtual means, with the participation of 719 nursing workers, from April to June 2020. To organize the data, the IRaMuTeQ® software and thematic analysis were used. Results: the reports revealed the lack of value of workers and the loss of social labor rights; the progressive nature of the neoliberal policy, its threats and repercussions on workers’ mental health; and recognition by female workers that political and class participation does not occur in isolation, but collectively. Conclusion: under the aegis of neoliberal policy, the COVID-19 pandemic brought an upsurge precarious work, influencing nursing workers’ subjectivity and mental health.