The Centre Walras-Pareto is organizing a workshop on the history of wages. The workshop will take place at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), 29-30 September 2016. Much has been written on wages within economics. In his classical account of the history ofwage theory, Dunlop (1957) refers to three time-periods: the wage-fund theory domination,the rise of marginal productivity distribution theory, and the “contemporary setting”, startingin the 1930s and characterized by a diversity of theoretical arguments; but much has changed.

Argument

Much has been written on wages within economics. In his classical account of the history of wage theory, Dunlop (1957) refers to three time-periods: the wage-fund theory domination, the rise of marginal productivity distribution theory, and the “contemporary setting”, starting in the 1930s and characterized by a diversity of theoretical arguments; but much has changed.

What have economists said on wage theories since then? And, more importantly, how and which economic arguments were used to change the world? The main focus of the workshop is on the evolution of the use of both wage theories and empirical analysis in public and policy debates.

The expansion of wage theories and methodologies since the 1970s, and the development of legislation and institutions dealing with labour questions, call for renewed reflexive and historical perspectives on the determination and measurement of wages in relation to policy issues such as poverty, macroeconomic stability, social justice, etc. The main topics for contributions include, but are not limited to: the evolution of the concept of subsistence from debates on living wage to minimum wage controversies, debates on the confrontation of the concept of unconditional basic income to wage system, the role of experts and institutions such as ILO on wage questions, the renewal of theories and practices of labour economics.

We are pleased to announce that Patrick BELSER, Economist at ILO and author of the ILO’s Global Wage Report, and Evelyn FORGET, Professor of economics at the University of Manitoba (Canada) and Academic Director of the Manitoba Research Data Centre, will join the conference as keynote speakers.

This workshop is supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO). 

Submission guidelines

Researchers and practitioners are invited to express their interest in participating in the workshop

by April 30th 2016

by sending a short abstract to cleo.chassonneryzaigouche@unil.ch. Full papers should be sent two weeks before the workshop. We plan to publish a thematic issue in a peer-review journal.

Organizers

• François ALLISSON
• Cléo CHASSONNERY-ZAÏGOUCHE

The selection will ne made by the organizers.