Unskilled and vulnerable workers invariably find themselves at the bottom of the income scale. Of course, income differentials between the occupational levels (from unskilled to top management) exist worldwide, for various reasons, and are to be expected. However, the pay gap between the top occupational level and the bottom level, as well as the structure within an income scale, should be proportionate and justifiable. But, what does it mean to have proportionate and justifiable income differentials? And, if income differentials are disproportionate, what can be done about it?

Day one of the workshop will debate legal and policy responses to disproportionately high income differentials. The workshop will consider the methods of addressing disproportionate income differentials within companies with larger groups of workers. The first day will also prepare a follow up workshop in December with a focus on the practical implementation of Section 27 of the EEA for instance by collective agreement.

On the second day the primary focuswill be on new forms of labour and its regulation and organization. Selected developments in the world of work and the emerging forms of work, such as ‘crowd’ work and work in the ‘sharing’ and the ‘gig’ economy. The workshop will consider whether there is a need for legal and policy responses to these emerging forms of work and whether measures need to be taken to increase protection against exploitation for vulnerable workers.