Valeria Pulignano

Valeria Pulignano is professor of sociology of work and industrial relations at the KU Leuven, where she heads a research group on employment relations and labour markets. Her research interests include comparative European industrial relations and labour markets.

Valeria Pulignano

Industrial relations, work and climate change

Valeria Pulignano 25th October 2024

Addressing the contradiction between economic growth and green transitions requires rethinking industrial relations.

From ‘green growth’ to a ‘good life’

Valeria Pulignano 31st October 2022

The Green Deal assumes economic growth can be ‘decoupled’ from ecological damage. That’s wishful thinking.

The ‘freedom’ to work for nothing

Valeria Pulignano 8th December 2021

Irregular pay is one of the criticisms levelled at platform companies. But some of the time there is no pay at all.

Including the precariat

Valeria Pulignano 9th September 2020

The coronavirus crisis has highlighted how the welfare state of the future must include the growing mass of precarious labour, especially among youth.

Uncoordinated Decentralization In Collective Bargaining: Challenges And Effects

Valeria Pulignano 15th February 2018

Uncoordinated decentralization in collective bargaining can allow companies to reach deals of their own with workers rather than being forced to comply with multi-employer industry-wide agreements negotiated by representative trade unions. What are the social effects and who stands to gain or lose most? Under Emmanuel Macron’s recent labour market reforms SMEs, (small and medium-sized […]

The Summer issue of The Progressive Post is out!

It is time to take action and to forge a path towards a Socialist renewal.

European Socialists struggle to balance their responsibilities with the need to take bold positions and actions in the face of many major crises, while far-right political parties are increasingly gaining ground. Against this background, we offer European progressive forces food for thought on projecting themselves into the future.

Among this issue’s highlights, we discuss the transformative power of European Social Democracy, examine the far right’s efforts to redesign education systems to serve its own political agenda and highlight the growing threat of anti-gender movements to LGBTIQ+ rights – among other pressing topics.

READ THE MAGAZINE

WSI Minimum Wage Report 2025

The trend towards significant nominal minimum wage increases is continuing this year. In view of falling inflation rates, this translates into a sizeable increase in purchasing power for minimum wage earners in most European countries. The background to this is the implementation of the European Minimum Wage Directive, which has led to a reorientation of minimum wage policy in many countries and is thus boosting the dynamics of minimum wages. Most EU countries are now following the reference values for adequate minimum wages enshrined in the directive, which are 60% of the median wage or 50 % of the average wage. However, for Germany, a structural increase is still necessary to make progress towards an adequate minimum wage.

S&D Position Paper on Cohesion Policy post-2027: a resilient future for European territorial equity

Cohesion Policy aims to promote harmonious development and reduce economic, social and territorial disparities between the regions of the Union, and the backwardness of the least favoured regions with a particular focus on rural areas, areas affected by industrial transition and regions suffering from severe and permanent natural or demographic handicaps, such as outermost regions, regions with very low population density, islands, cross-border and mountain regions.

READ THE FULL POSITION PAPER HERE

The evolution of working conditions in Europe

This episode of Eurofound Talks examines the evolving landscape of European working conditions, situated at the nexus of profound technological transformation.

Mary McCaughey speaks with Barbara Gerstenberger, Eurofound's Head of Unit for Working Life, who leverages insights from the 35-year history of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS).

Listen to the episode for free. Also make sure to subscribe to Eurofound Talks so you don’t miss an episode!