WORK AND OCCUPATION IN A TERTIARY SOCIETY

Abstract

This article suggests that social scientists should shift from labour to broader concepts of work and, in particular, a new sense of occupation, in which people combine forms of activity that cross the boundaries set by old labour concepts. We live in a tertiary society, not an industrial society. With this perspective, it is suggested that ideas of collective bargaining should evolve to embrace collaborative bargaining between occupational groups, that labour law needs to be overhauled and that occupational regulation should be given much greater weight. The article draws on a forthcoming book, Work after Globalisation, which offers a vision of occupational citizenship, with strong work rights, in place of lingering elements of industrial citizenship.