ABSTRACT

There are strong arguments for unions to work with other social movements, especially in the context of neoliberalism and the growth of informal, contingent and precarious work. Social movements provide new ideas, new resources, new strategies and tactics and new sites of struggle as well as the potential to speak to younger, precarious and immigrant workers. There are also strong arguments for social movements to work with unions, who tend to be better resourced, with established consensus-based structures and representation in the workplace. This chapter considers the relations between unions and social movements in theory and practice, showing what unions and social movements can learn from each other, asking whether the relations between union and social movements are likely to be characterized by conflict, cooperation or indifference. More fundamentally, the question asked is whether other social movements are replacing organized labour as the main dynamic force for advancing workers’ interests.

Keywords: Social movements; extra-workplace action; challenges for unions

INTRODUCTION

There is now a well-established set of studies in industrial and labour relations on unions adopting forms and practices of social movement unionism, and the links between unions and community groups (see Engeman 2015; Heery, Williams & Abbott; Holgate 2015; Tattersall 2011; see also Chapter 16). This chapter adds to the debate by considering the relations between unions and social movements in theory and practice, drawing on contemporary examples to show what unions and social movements can learn from each other and asking whether the relations between union and social movements are likely to be characterized by conflict, cooperation or indifference (Heery, Williams & Abbott 2012). More fundamentally, the question asked, using the example of the “Yellow Vests” movement in France is whether other social movements are replacing organized labour as the main dynamic force for advancing workers’ interests.

There are strong arguments for unions working with other social movements, especially in the context of globalization and neoliberalism, deindustrialization and the growth of informal, contingent and precarious work. Social movements provide new ideas, new resources, new strategies and tactics, new sites of struggle and the potential to speak to younger, precarious and immigrant workers.