In this course, we will discuss the way theories on capital-labour relations (or employment relations) provide different explanations for the behaviours of actors and related outcomes in the world of work. We will take a critical perspective on the different assumptions and values propounded by various theories on the nature of work, power relations, and conflict at work. We will use the three frames of reference developed by Fox (1966), namely: the unitarist, the pluralist and the radical frames. Through these frames, we will discuss and analyse the main theoretical strands in employment relations and see their application at the workplace. In particular, the course will analyse how the role of the widely known labour market institution of collective bargaining is conceptualised in each of these theoretical approaches. Given the significant changes in the employment relations of the last decades and the persistence of informal employment, there will be a special emphasis on emerging collective forms of representation and action.