The Institute for Cooperation between University and Labour Movement is a partnership between the trade unions and the University of Antwerp. ISUA’s objective is to support the trade unions in their consultations and negotiations with the employers. Simultaneously, the trade unions’ field experience adds realism to the university’s educational programme and research practice.

The Institute concretizes its mission through three core activities:

• Education and Training in Socio-Economic Policy (VOSEB)
• Workshops and brief courses
• Research

In ISUA’s Board of Directors the trade unions present topics and issues on which they would like academics to elaborate and comment.

Depending on the topic or issue the Institute then proceeds to organize a two-year VOSEB course, workshops or research.

Academic service provision

The Institute for Cooperation between University and Labour Movement (ISUA) carries out applied research with a view to strengthening workers’ bargaining position.

Sometimes ISUA deals with questions from certain sectors (transport), certain groups of workers (middle management) or from the trade unions at a national level.

At present ISUA, in collaboration with the trade unions ACV, ABVV and ACLVB, is developing an instrument to support employee representatives in the case of socio-technical adaptations in labour organization. At the request of the transport section of the ABVV, ISUA is also examining the good practices in other European countries to fight social fraud and the possible implementation thereof. Both of these studies are ESF projects.

ISUA International

Scientific research

ISUA carries out applied research to strengthen the employees’  bargaining position. Sometimes the Institute deals with questions of certain branches (transport), of certain groups of employees (middle management) or of  the trade unions at the national level. At present  ISUA, in cooperation with the  trade unions ACV, ABVV and ACLVB , is developing an instrument to support employee representatives with socio-technical adaptations in the organization of labour. At the request of the ABVV transport union ISUA is studying the measures (good practices) in other European countries against social fraud and and their possible implementation.

Structure

The Institute for Cooperation between University and Labour Movement (ISUA) has a joint management structure, consisting of academics from the Faculties of Law, Applied Economics and Sociology on the one hand  and of policy-makers from the three representative employee organizations (ABVV, ACLVB, ACV) on the other.

Chair: prof. Freek Louckx​
Coordination: Ms Dominique Kiekens
Secretariat:  Ms Karen Peeters