Work and Employment Research Unit (WERU)

Overview

The Work and Employment Research Unit (WERU) undertakes critical and multi-disciplinary research in employment and employment relations and from this basis makes a contribution to major contemporary debates as well as to policy development.

Under unit leader Professor Gregor Gall, the group:

• organises a series of seminars and conferences
• provides a subscription research service to relevant policy and user groups
• undertakes research consultancy projects
• constitutes a forum for an interchange of ideas and perspectives on research in employment relations

Aims of the unit

WERU aims to:

• carry out both academic and policy oriented research with regard to the areas of the sociology of work and employment, industrial relations and employment relations of a national and international standing
• engage with policy makers and opinion formers in the area of employment relations
• generate income from research grant applications 

See more of the unit's aims.

Research themes

The unit’s research themes include:

• critical studies of work
• employment and the employment relations in both Britain and abroad within a framework of radical political economy, with special interest in the issue of labour unions
• labour/management relationships
• the impact of neo-liberalism on work and employment

Indicative research and consultancy projects

Indicative research and Consultancy Projects, that the unit has been involved in include:

• working alongside the Fire Brigades’ Union on performance related pay
• working with the Communication Workers’ Union on workplace learning and advising on union organising
• being commissioned to write an official history of the Connect telecommunications union and its predecessors
• working with the Public and Commercial Services’ union on combating marketisation and privatisation

Indicative publications

See a list of the unit's indicative publications.