2025-ongoing, Chair of the ‘International Committee of High-Level Experts on Workplace Democracy’ by the Spanish Government’
The Spanish Ministry of Labour has established an expert committee tasked with drafting a report on Article 129.2 of the Spanish Constitution. The report will outline the importance of granting workers participation and ownership rights at the firm level, and propose a pathway for the Spanish Government to move forward with economic democracy.
As part of its coalition agreement, the Spanish Government had indeed committed to legislating on this Article, making this initiative a significant step toward democratizing firms. Here is the Government’s official announcement
The committee includes three members of the #DemocratizingWork Core Group: Julie Battilana (Harvard Business School & Harvard Kennedy School), Sara Lafuente Hernández (University of Brussels/European Trade Union Institute), and Isabelle Ferreras (FNRS/University of Louvain-Harvard CLJE), who serves as chair of the committee. The other committee members are Jeremias Adams-Prassl (University of Oxford), Edurne Ormaetxea Aurrekoetxea (University of Deusto), Vicente Salas Fumás (University of Zaragoza), Benjamin Braun (Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies), Erinch Sahan (Doughnut Economics Action Lab), Daniel Innerarity (European University Institute/University of the Basque Country), Sergio Gonzalez Begega (University of Oviedo), Isabel-Gemma Fajardo García (University of Valencia) et Antonio Baylos (University of Castilla-La Mancha).
The Report is expected by next September
For more information, here is a selection of the coverage:
El País (February, 20). Díaz impulsa la ley de “democracia en las empresas” con una comisión de Hay corporaciones autocráticas”.
EFE (February, 22). « Los empresarios no deben tener miedo ».
Le Monde (25 février). Face aux dérives du capitalisme financier, le gouvernement espagnol veut redonner du pouvoir aux salariés,
Industrial Relations Notes (March, 5). Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Polish.
2023-ongoing, Member of the Advisory Board of the International Panel on Social Progress https://www.ipsp.org/advisory-board
- September 27-29, 2023, Paris, First meeting of the Advisory Board https://www.ipsp.org/first-meeting-of-the-advisory-board-2
2022-2023, Appointed by the federal government to serve as Member of the High Scientific Committee for a Just Transition, established by Minister Zakia Khattabi, minister for climate, environment, sustainable development and the Green Deal of the Federal government of Belgium
- Final report: Just Transition in Belgium. Concepts, Issues at Stake, and Policy Levers. Scientific Report on behalf of the High Committee for a Just Transition for the Belgian Federal Minister for Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal (November 2023) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V0j8Qn_Bma0Wcedj8j9tq5P_ilZ55nDd/view
- Political Memorandum: Vers une Transition Juste en Belgique (November 2023) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1emTb_5Bv2CsIgjnADjRbrg2NY3ORZV12/view
from 2019 to 2023, Co-founder and member of the board of the cooperative start-up Hyppy, Brussels
from 2020 to 2022, Appointed by the Minister of Economic Transition, Barbara Trachte, of the Brussels Region on the Mission reprise d’entreprises en difficulté par/avec leurs travailleurs (Taskforce on saving businesses by or with their own employees) to serve as academic expert
from 2015 to 2019, Member of the board of Institut royal pour Sourds et Aveugles (I.R.S.A.), Brussels
from 1999 to 2010, Founding and active member of Actions Birmanie/Burma Action Group, NGO that acts for the defense of human rights and democracy in Burma http://www.birmanie.net/
from 2000 to 2010, member of the editorial board of La Revue Nouvelle (founded in 1945), Brussels
1995-96, President of the University of Louvain Student Union (Assemblée générale des étudiants de l’Université catholique de Louvain – A.G.L.), member of the Council of the Federation of the Belgian French-speaking students (Fédération des étudiants francophones –F.E.F.)
1994-95, President of the Committee for Teaching and Education at A.G.L., students’ representative at the Academic Board of the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain)
1993-94, member of the “Flying University Project”, cooperative partnership between university students from the UCLouvain, ULB, the University of Paris I-Sorbonne, the University of Paris X-Nanterre, and university students in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia during the war in ex-Yougoslavia. Journey into ex-Yougoslavia (January 1994)
Isabelle Ferreras 