The Challenges for Labour Law and Social Security at the Labour Law and Social Security Interface - published with other keynote and selected papers in Blanpain, Du Toit and Hendick Labour Law and Social Progress ' Labour Law and Social Progress Holding the Line or Shifting the Boundaries by Kluwer International BV Netherlands, 2016. ISBN 978-90-411-6747-7

The focus of the paper was the inter-action of labour and social security systems at the labour-social security interface, particularly in the aftermath of the post-2007 financial and economic crises, and as a result of austerity measures. The paper commented on the two systems’ ability to meet the increasingly complex needs of their key stakeholders: workers and their families, employers, and the communities they serve. Among other things, it explored the idea of mutualisation or demutualisation of risk and risk-costs, particularly in the context of labour markets' increasing dependence on State systems of in-work support and wage subsidies. The introductory section then sets out the main arguments as follows:
Developing points from my keynote paper at the International Society of Labour and Social Security Law (ISLSSL) XI European Congress of Labour Law in September 2014 in Dublin (Social Security and State Support for the Wage-Work Bargain: Reconstructing Europe’s Floor of Social Protection) I argue that whilst there are a lot of remedial actions and improvements which policy-makers, agencies, and governments could take to address shortcomings in social security systems, it is to the labour side of the interface to which we should primarily be looking in order to rebuild and maintain citizens’, and in particular labour market participants’ welfare. Whilst effective social security systems continue to be important at all stages in the employment cycle, including welfare-to-work transitions and after employment has ended, the central argument will be that it is an effective wages and conditions floor which should generally be the centrepiece of any effective social protection floor. Consistent with that approach, wages and occupational benefits paid at a fair level coupled with measures to close gender and equalities gaps and otherwise maintain Decent Work standards, should be the cornerstone of that floor; and, if necessary, newer, more effective labour market regulatory and redistributive mechanisms should be constructed.