Search results

peer-reviewed ; Childcare is central to women's ability to participate in paid work. This article explores the increasing demand for childcare and women's ability to source and retain childcare in the context of the Irish State's neo-liberal approach to childcare provision. This article demonstrates that there are two childcare economies in Ireland—the public government supported and regulated crèche care and the informal, unregulated arrangements of private childminders. Drawing on empirical research,1 this paper examines the treatment of childcare workers by the State, "working mothers"2 and households and exposes the low economic and social value placed on childcare and childcare workers in Irish society.

Die heutige Arbeiterklasse in England hat, so der Verfasser, keine Vorstellung von Gesellschaft, die über das Akquisitorische hinausginge - sie ist unfähig, sich selbst oder ihre Lebensgewohnheiten anders als vorläufig zu denken, auf dem Weg nach oben oder auf dem Weg raus. Die Arbeiterklasse ist bestenfalls ein Wartezimmer für Menschen, die darauf aus sind, in die Mittelschicht aufzusteigen, falls das möglich ist. Als Klasse an sich scheint sie tot zu sein. Die Ziele der Gesellschaft gehören nicht länger zu ihrem Ethos, allein die Idee schon ist so hinüber wie die Arbeiterbildungsanstalten. Die Engländer sehen sich als abhängig vom Handeln der gesellschaftlichen und politischen Institutionen, nicht aber als an deren Entstehung beteiligt. Es wird immer Ausnahmen geben und sehr viele großartige Ausnahmen, im Allgemeinen aber leben die Engländer in einem Miasma von "negativer Freiheit": Ihr kollektives Ziel besteht darin, frei von Einmischung zu sein, nicht darin, ihre Zukunft zu bestimmen. (ICF2)

PurposeThe European Works Council (EWC) Directive reflects a shift to a softer style of governance which has been adopted by the EU in recent years. This article sets out to explore how successful this soft style governance is when implemented at the national level.Design/methodology/approachThe paper introduces the literature on the subject and shows that two main theses have been developed to date; one which favours the softer mechanism of governance and one which is critical of it. Two propositions are developed from the literature. The article explores them by examining them in light of the manner in which the Directive has bedded down in the Irish context. It does this through a micro and macro analysis of material available on the EWC in Ireland and a series of interviews. Ireland is regarded as a suitable arena in which to explore these propositions.FindingsThe article finds that the EWC Directive was implemented in Ireland in a manner which was deemed suitable for its smooth integration into the Irish context. However, the transposition's flexible nature is such that it is unclear that it has made any significant contribution to Ireland's system of industrial relations. It is suggested that the EU may not yet have developed a form of governance suitable for a disparate, expanding community.Originality/valueThe paper provides a micro‐analysis of how the EWC Directive has been transposed in one Member State (Ireland). It combines this with a macro‐analysis which enables us to compare the Irish transposition with other Member States. This approach indicates that the Directive has been applied in a very heterogeneous style throughout the Member States, which tends to reproduce indigenous industrial relations systems rather than reform or challenge them.