The landscape of labor relations is rapidly evolving, influenced by shifting workforce demographics, digital transformation, economic pressures, and the evolving roles of labor institutions. As traditional industrial relations models are challenged by automation, gig work, hybrid work models, and generational diversity, both employers and employee representatives need to rethink how they engage, negotiate, and collaborate.
This plenary session will draw insights from key stakeholders – employers, labour unions, HR professionals, and people management experts – and examine how labour relations are being redefined in Nigeria and globally. It will examine strategies for fostering collaboration, ensuring fairness, and maintaining productivity amid disruption, with a focus on building resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workplaces.
Key Discussion Perspectives:
- Changing Nature of Work – Hybrid work, gig labor, and automation’s impact on job security, benefits, and collective bargaining.
- Technology & Labor Relations – AI, digital platforms, and analytics reshaping employer-employee dynamics and union strategies.
- Workforce Diversity & Inclusion – Managing generational shifts, equity gaps, and psychosocial safety in labor policies.
- Employee Well-being & Rights – Balancing flexibility with protections, mental health support, and fair compensation.
- Unions & Employers – New approaches to social dialogue, dispute resolution, and productivity collaboration.
- Upskilling & Talent Futures – Reskilling strategies to close gaps and ensure employability in a disruptive economy.
The future of labor relations requires stakeholders to act as changemakers, balancing competitive business needs with fair and future-focused employment practices. They will need strategic insights and practical tools to lead the transformation and ensure workplaces thrive amid constant change.
This plenary will set the tone for critical conversations on collaboration, innovation, and resilience in labor relations, inspiring leaders to build inclusive, adaptive, and sustainable systems for tomorrow’s workforce.
