Development and Future of Social Security Systems
40th Linz Conference of ITH (September 16th through 19th, 2004)
organized by International Conference of Labour and Social
History
and Chamber of Labour of Upper Austria
First considerations
The ability to finance those social security systems
the labour movements have been fighting for is being called into question
worldwide. The welfare state is being denounced as a disadvantage in international
economic competition. Aim of the conference is to introduce the historical
component in this debate and to compare different responses of trade unions
and other organizations and parties being in the tradition of the labour
movement.
Possible focusses could be provisions for illness and old age, maternity
regulations and child allowances.
Papers and commentaries should cover politics of labour organizations in
countries without state-subsidized social security systems, the remodelling
of social security systems in previous communist ruled countries, the social
policy of communist governments and the role of unions and similar associations
in those countries as well as the classic welfare states and the present
politicy of ruling social democratic parties. The analysis of social democratic
resp. communist politicies should englobe also the self portrayal of those
movements as the vanguardes of social policy.
W. R. Garscha
winfried.garscha@doew.at
Contact
Christine Schindler, ITH, Wipplinger Str. 8, A-1010 Wien,
e-mail: christine.schindler@doew.at,
Fax. +43 1 534 36 99 90 319