'Participation at Work: The History of Economic and Industrial Democracy'

5th ELHN Conference, European Labour History Network, Privisonal Working Group: Economic and Industrial Democracy, June 11-13, 2024, Uppsala, Sweden

After years of silence, debates about the democratization of the economy are currently undergoing a significant resurgence in academic research and the broader public. Against the backdrop of burgeoning populist movements and a widely observed decline of popular support for democracy, scholars are suggesting that introducing or improving measures for democratic participation in industry can not only enhance productivity and economic growth, but also reinforce democratic values and institutions. While extensive dialogues on theoretical and contemporary aspects of economic and industrial democracy abound, our understanding of historical responses to democratic participation in industry remains remarkably fragmented. The proposed panel seeks to bridge this gap by soliciting contributions that shed light on diverse facets of economic and industrial democracy in the past.