Trade unions Books

Book SynopsisThe fourteen years between 1960 and-1974 saw the trade union and labour movement transformed. In 1959 Labour had been beaten at the polls for the third successive time – with political commentators claiming that class politics in Britain were dead. By 1974 a mobilised trade union movement had forced a Conservative government from office, compelled the abandonment of its anti-trade union legislation, released imprisoned dockers from Pentonville prison and twice provided the miners with the solidarity required for victory. The climax in 1974 was Labour victory in the 1974 general election with a programme calling for an irreversible shift of wealth and power in favour of working people. This volume of the TGWU’s centenary history documents the role of Britain’s biggest union in this transformation. Two remarkable general secretaries, Frank Cousins and Jack Jones, provided leadership. However, it was the TGWU’s members who achieved it: the women and men in the factories, transport depots and docks, who forged the new class unity. The book records their voices. It brings together their struggles from Clydeside, Dublin and Belfast to Longbridge, Dagenham and Heathrow – and it does so with a wealth of new material revealing the tactics of government and employers and the complexity of the struggles for sex equality and against racial discrimination that helped cement the new class unity.Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements General Introduction Section 1 1960-66 1.Making Working People Bear the Burden 2. The Public Ownership of the Means of Production, Distribution and Exchange 3. Labour in Government – but not Power Section 2 1966-1970 4. Holding the TGWU to the Left 5. Defeating In Place of Strife Section 3 1970-74 6. Assembling the Forces for Victory 7. Working class unity 8. Victory and issues of trade union power

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Book SynopsisThis is the third volume on the history of the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU), covering the period 1945 to 1960, and starting with an extraordinary moment in its history. There were such high hopes with the election of Attlee’s Labour government, committed to a series of radical reforms, establishing the Welfare State and nationalising key sectors of the economy. These reforms seemed to offer unique opportunities to move forwards towards what Nye Bevan, the main architect of the NHS, saw as a ‘new world both at home and abroad’. Or did it? This volume explores the challenges as well as the opportunities for radical reform, as these played out between 1945 and 1960. There was renewed industrial unrest, with disputes in the docks and transport industries, despite the best efforts of the Labour Government to contain them. Much remained to be achieved in terms of equalities, and there were challenges when it came to calls for international solidarity in the Cold War context. But still, there had been major developments in terms of trade union education. The T&G had become a much more democratic organisation, and, overall, was a more powerful, progressive force by the end of this period. This volume explores issues with continuing relevance for the trade union and labour movement.Table of ContentsChapter one: Post-war opportunities and challenges Chapter two: Class struggles in the T&G from 1945 to 1960 Chapter three: International solidarity – or not? Chapter four: Struggles for equalities Chapter five: Using education to build the union, 1945-1960 Chapter six: Debates on democracy and alternative futures

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Book SynopsisThis volume traces the history of the TGWU from its zenith in the period of the Labour Government to its nadir in 1992. It easily divides itself into two distinct periods. The first from 1974-79 saw a reforming Labour government which, recognising trade union strength, was determined to ‘bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of power and wealth in favour of working people’. It marked the zenith of the TGWU in which the union played an important role, overseeing the repeal of anti-union Industrial Relation Act, and the enactment of a raft of pro-worker legislation. But this was insufficient to sustain the 'Social Contract' between the Labour Government and the Trade Unions– leading to the ‘Winter of Discontent’ and the Tory election victory of 1979. The second period, 1979-92, witnessed the nadir of the TGWU. A right wing Conservative government led by Margaret Thatcher, was determined to reverse all the gains of preceding Labour administrations. Anti-union legislation and the cruel tool of unemployment created the economic and political conditions to decimate trade unions. Defensive struggles could not stop the defeats suffered by car workers, miners, printers and dockers. Trade union membership declined in the Thatcher years, leading to a bleak period of industrial defeat and union retrenchment, characterised by mergers and reorganisation - mitigated only by positive moves to tackle endemic racism and sexism in an attempt to involve previously disregarded women and black workers.

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Book SynopsisThis engaging and timely book provides an in-depth analysis of work and labour relations within global platform capitalism with a specific focus on digital platforms that organise labour processes, known as labour platforms. Well-respected contributors thoroughly examine both online and offline platforms, their distinct differences and the important roles they play for both large transnational companies and those with a smaller global reach. Chapters explore how labour platforms have become controversial and ambiguous as they increasingly appear to provide important sources of work and income globally but conversely raise concerns over exploitation of workers and the lack of legal protection provided to them. Offering a global perspective and including studies from different continents, the book covers three key areas: platform work in the wider context of contemporary capitalism, labour platforms from an international division of labour perspective, and labour processes and relations. This informative and thought-provoking book is an excellent resource for scholars with a particular interest in political economy, the sociology of work, labour relations and labour policies. Policymakers and regulators looking to understand how to effectively apply existing regulations for platform workers when creating new business models will also find this an invigorating read.Trade Review‘I highly recommend this book to those who have already stepped into the terrain of understanding the platform economy, those who are just taking that step, and those who have not yet begun but are willing to do so. Why? Because this is one of the few existing books that offers a rich, critical, fresh, and contemporary analysis of the platform economy embedded into capital and capitalism worldwide. It reveals what global platform capitalism entails by uncovering its internal social, economic, and political contradictions and tensions from a much-needed critical standpoint.’ -- Valeria Pulignano, ILR Review‘With this edited collection of insightful chapters, Julieta Haidar and Maarten Keune capture the essence of the “contradictions” and “tensions” surrounding the emergence of work and labor relations within the platform economy. This collection memorably illustrates how hegemonic capitalism generates “social order” by re-producing cleavages through establishing new socio-economic and political interdependencies on a global basis. This is a “must” for everyone who wants to learn about the platform economy.’ -- Valeria Pulignano, University of Leuven, Belgium‘In the 21st century we are witnessing what seems to be a paradox. On the one hand, we have an expansion of algorithms and artificial intelligence generating companies that are increasingly wealthy. On the other, there is a new growing portion of the working class who find themselves in an increasingly precarious position and without basic labour rights. How does exploitation in platform capitalism take place? What is new and what is old in these labour relations? How does managerial control occur? And how will the struggles and resistance of this new proletariat of the digital age develop? To better comprehend this complex social phenomenon, this book offers an important contribution.’ -- Ricardo Antunes, University of Campinas, BrazilTable of ContentsContents: Introduction to Work and Labour Relations in Global Platform Capitalism 1 Julieta Haidar and Maarten Keune PART I PLATFORM LABOUR IN CONTEMPORARY CAPITALISM 1 Value, rent and platform capitalism 29 Nick Srnicek 2 Platforms and exploitation in informational capitalism 46 Mariano Zukerfeld 3 Platform capitalism – towards the neo-commodification of labour? 69 Petar Marčeta PART II LABOUR PLATFORMS BETWEEN THE GLOBAL AND THE LOCAL 4 Working conditions, geography and gender in global crowdwork 93 Janine Berg and Uma Rani 5 Global earnings dispaities in remote platform work: liabilities of origin? 111 Vili Lehdonvirta, Isis Hjorth, Helena Barnard and Mark Graham 6 Freelancing globally: upworkers in China and India, neo-liberalisation and the new international putting-out system of labour (NIPL) 133 Wing-Fai Leung, Premilla D’Cruz and Ernesto Noronha PART III LABOUR PROCESS AND LABOUR RELATIONS IN PLATFORM CAPITALISM 7 Digitalized management, control and resistance in platform work: a labour process analysis 157 Simon Joyce and Mark Stuart 8 Collective organization in platform companies in Argentina: between labour union traditions and adaptive strategies 184 Cora Arias, Nicolás Diana Menéndez and Julieta Haidar 9 Collective resistance and organizational creativity amongst Europe’s platform workers: a new power in the labour movement? 205 Kurt Vandaele 10 Digital platform work in Latin America: challenges and perspectives for its regulation 235 Graciela Bensusán and Héctor Santos Index

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Book SynopsisBehind one of the greatest tragedies in UK policing history lies an incredible political scandal ‘An important book, especially now’ Lee Child ‘Espionage, betrayal, terrorism, corruption and murder. All the ingredients of a Le Carré novel, only it’s real’ Matthew Hall ‘A powerful and timely account’ John Sutherland ‘Very well written and deeply researched . . . an account of a relentless search for justice. It has pride of place in my library' John Grieve CBE QPM former DAC MPS and former National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorist Investigations 'Well-written, brilliantly researched, uplifting and yet, a truly shocking read. The story of one man's heroic fight against the odds and against the establishment. John Murray, you are indeed a hero' DCI Colin Sutton (ret'd) Senior Investigating Officer, the Millie Dowler enquiry On 17 April 1984, as demonstrators gathered outside the Libyan embassy in London, two gunmen lay in wait inside. At 10.18 a.m. automatic gunfire rained down on the protestors and WPC Yvonne Fletcher fell, mortally wounded. As his friend lay dying, PC John Murray made her a promise that he would not rest until those responsible had been brought to justice. Thirty-seven years would pass before he was able to fulfil that undertaking. While researching this moving account of one man’s dogged pursuit of justice for a murdered colleague, Matt Johnson uncovered secret-service deals and government duplicity, all part of a plan to force an end to the National Union of Mineworkers’ strike. He discovered the real reason Yvonne’s killers were allowed to go free and how events that day led to thirty years of growing political control of policing, resulting in the disarray increasingly evident today. This compelling account pulls seemingly unconnected threads into a coherent – and shocking – whole. It provides startling insights into how decisions taken by our politicians and the actions of our intelligence agencies, supposedly in our best interests, may be anything but.Trade Review‘An important book, especially now – both an intensely personal story, and a sober analysis of a political scandal’ -- Lee Child‘Espionage, betrayal, terrorism, corruption and murder. All the ingredients of a Le Carré novel, only it’s real’ -- Matthew Hall‘A powerful and timely account of one of the darkest chapters in British policing history’ -- John Sutherland'The best book I've ever read. Breathtakingly brilliant.' * Jackie Malton, former Detective, author of The Real Prime Suspect. *'A story I was really struck by… Uplifting… An important read.' * Crime Time / Paul Burke *‘Highly recommended. Hard-hitting, packed with raw emotion and a story that deserves to live long in the memory. If you only read one non-fiction book this year, make sure it is this one.’ * Jen Med's Book Reviews *'A literary masterpiece. Captivating, it is a must-read for those seeking profound insights into the hidden truths of our society.' * The Deeping *‘Very well written and deeply researched . . . an account of a relentless search for justice. It has pride of place in my library.' * John Grieve CBE QPM former DAC MPS and former National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorist Investigations *'Heart-wrenching saga of courage, betrayal, and the undying spirit of justice.' * Emergency Services News *'Well-written, brilliantly researched, uplifting and yet, a truly shocking read. The story of one man's heroic fight against the odds and against the establishment. John Murray, you are indeed a hero.' * DCI Colin Sutton (ret'd) Senior Investigating Officer, the Millie Dowler enquiry *

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Book SynopsisThe postman and the primary teacher, the midwife and the musician. Workers in shops, workers at sea. Solidarity with the Columbian farmer and the Palestinian fireman… Modern trade unionists in Scotland perform roles in every imaginable location and are drawn from all backgrounds. They campaign to win on issues facing the colleague next to them or a comrade thousands of miles away. ’Mon the Workers tells their stories in their own words. It is a celebration of 125 years of the STUC, and a clarion call for the next generation to agitate, organise and win. This book demonstrates past achievements, explores the ideas trade unionists have fought for and rouses the movement towards future victories. 75 trade union members, reps and officials share experiences of union life from the anti-apartheid movement to Wick Wants Work. Alan McCredie’s charismatic portraits of 50 other activists from the trade union movement provide a complementary visual narrative. This very human book pulses with the energy of Scotland’s trade union movement, which has achieved so much and still has more to do.Trade ReviewMon should grace the shelves of union offices across the country... well worth reading and well worth returning to as a resource. STUART FAIRWEATHER, DEMOCRATIC LEFT SCOTLANDMon the Workers is not just a piece of commemorative history. It’s also part of the organiser’s toolkit. The power of these stories is that they are told by workers in their own voices. JENNI GUNN, SCOTTISH LEFT REVIEWTable of ContentsForeword by Rozanne Foyer Introduction 1. VictoriesJustice for Surjit Singh Chhokar Aamer Anwar Teachers’ march for better pay Adine Jones, Alison Beattie, Gillian [] and Leah Anderson 50/50 Campaign Agnes Tolmie Wick Wants Work Allan Tait Free school meals Andrea Bradley The battle of Kenmure Street Anonymous Apartheid, Mandela and Scotland Brian Filling Freedom From Fear for shopworkers Caroline Baird Fast food workers rise up Claire Peden Opposing dockyard privatisation Colm McConnell Call Centre Collective Craig Anderson UCS Work-In David Cooper 1985 Teachers’ Strike David Drever and May Ferries Better Than Zero Eilish O’Keefe Pharmacists prescribe change Gordon Finlayson and Paul Flynn Stopping NHS Privatisation Grahame Smith Responding to Piper Alpha Jake Molloy Defeating university pension cuts in 2018 Jeanette Findlay Standing together for equal pay Jennifer McCarey Caterpillar lock-in John Foster Abolishing fire and rehire John Kelly Building a winning branch John Neil Time For Inclusive Education Jordan Daly and Liam Stevenson Menopause policy for railway workers Kim Gibson Bargaining for NHS workers Lilian Macer Keeping guards on trains Mary Jane Herbison Saving the Fife yards Michael Sullivan From Polaris to a Scottish Parliament Pat Milligan Saving school kitchens Paul Arkison Saving skilled jobs in a pandemic Paul Leckie Blind workers’ rights Robert Mooney Battle for Royal Mail Tam Dewar Repealing Section 2A Tracy Gilbert 2. Ideas Worth Fighting ForBlack Workers’ Committee Anita Shelton Resistance, unity and pensions Cat Boyd Fighting for older workers Elinor McKenzie and Helen Biggins Women’s Committee prison visit Janet Cassidy By artists, for artists Janie Nicoll and Lynda Graham Helping the firefighters of Palestine Jim Malone Visiting Palestine Liz Elkind Michael’s Story and International Workers’ Memorial Day Louise Adamson Another side to the miner’s strike Margot Russell Playing the union card Michael Devlin Learning on the job Michelle Boyle Anti-fascism, then and now Mike Arnott A workers’ newspaper Ron McKay Marching against racism Satnam Ner Solidarity with Chile Sonia Leal Union learning and growth in the taxi trade Stevie Grant Justice for Columbia Susan Quinn Solidarity visit to Bhopal Tony Sneddon 3. The Struggle continues Pardon for Miners Alex Bennett Safe Home campaign Caitlin Lee Working together for climate justice Catrina Randall Protecting black workers in a pandemic Charmaine Blaze Climate and unions at COP26 Coll McCail Worker safety during Covid Deborah Vaile Unionising Produce Workers Derek Mitchell A unique LGBT Network Eilidh Milliken Changing the music industry Iona Fyfe Making a stand with Macmerry Keetah Konstant Battling labour casualisation in academia Lena Wanggren Action on Asbestos Phylliss Craig Asda equal pay Rose Theresa Skilling Carers during Covid Shona Thomson From Timex to Better Than Zero Stella Rooney Workers in the gig economy Xabier Vill0ares

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Book SynopsisOrganizing Matters demonstrates the interplay between two distinct logics of labour's collective action: on the one hand, workers coming together, usually at their place of work, entrusting the union to represent their interests and, on the other hand, social bargaining in which the trade union constructs labour's interests from the top down. The book investigates the tensions and potential complementarities between the two logics through the combination of a strong theoretical framework and an extensive qualitative case study of trade union organizing and recruitment in four countries - Austria, Germany, Israel and the Netherlands. These countries still utilize social-wide bargaining but find it necessary to draw and develop strategies transposed from Anglo-American countries in response to continuously declining membership. Trade unionists and scholars will find this a compelling story of organizing, narrated in the voice of organizers, trade union officials and local observers. This is a source for reflection on the daily hardship and strategic goals of organizing. Theorists will be able to utilize the two logics for explaining ongoing challenges for trade unions' revitalization worldwide.Trade Review'Labour unions worldwide have had decades to experiment with different revitalization strategies to combat declining membership and political influence. In Organizing Matters, Guy Mundlak provides a uniquely comprehensive and engaging analysis of how these experiments have played out in four countries where unions are experiencing a growing gap between collective agreement coverage (high or stable) and union membership (low or declining). He draws on examples of organizing campaigns, rich with detail and quotes, to show the tensions unions in these countries experience when they seek to mobilize and recruit members at enterprise level - as well as the potential for these strategies to complement traditional forms of 'social bargaining' at sector or national level. The book's findings give grounds for cautious hope that trade unions are forging new hybrid strategies that use workplace organizing to both strengthen employee voice and mobilize institutional power.' --Virginia Doellgast, Cornell University, USTable of ContentsContents: Introduction: A Theory of Two Logics, A Study of Four Countries 1. The Two Logics of Labour's Association 2. Hybrid industrial relations systems: between Ghent and sliced up bargaining units 3. Four hybrid industrial relations systems – converging challenges, divergent institutions 4. Declining membership and a rising legitimacy gap 5. Membership-based strategies - organizing and recruitment 6. Between two logics - strains of organizing when membership counts 7. Between two logics - bridging practices as a path towards revitalization Postscript: The two logics and membership counts References Index

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Book SynopsisThis history of the anarcho-syndicalist trade union, the Confederacion Nacional del Trabajo, analyses a period much neglected in historical research: from the end of the civil war in 1939 to the period of democratic change from 1976 to 1979, when the organisation was reconstructed after Francos death. The Franco years were characterised by extraordinary division within the CNT and by the bureaucratisation and ossification of the organisation now part in exile in France. The decimation of the Spanish CNT in 1947 by draconian repression enhanced the role of the exiled CNT, which was now the sole representative of the historic Anarchist movement in Spain. The moribund notion of Anarchism held by the exiled organisation could not attract recruits, and thus new forces drawn to Anarchism in 1960s Spain came through different routes, related, in large part, to the crisis within Marxism. Some of these local activists became convinced of the possibility for a reconstructed CNT, but only if the organisation were renewed. However, the exiled CNT opposed such ideas and used all possible means to undermine the movement for a new CNT. Although the reconstruction of the CNT from 1976 was characterised by the struggle between these two principal forces, the Spanish CNT captured the feelings and enthusiasm of Spanish youth, after the long dark night of Francoism. The libertarian boom was short-lived however, and by 1978 the CNT was in deep crisis, calling for the dissolution of the exiled organisation. The latter, and its allies in Spain, could not allow such a development and organised the Congress of 1979 to prevent this happening. The subsequent irrevocable division of the CNT sheds lights on the political, social and economic fractures that Spain still experiences today. Published in association with the Canada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies, LSE

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Book SynopsisShip masters and officers may not seem like pioneers of trade unionism. However, this history of their unique union, Nautilus International, shows how they have been pitched into the forefront of a long struggle for decent jobs, fair pay and conditions, employment rights, and health and safety – all in an international industry marked by savage and cut-throat competition. This book traces the evolution of today’s trans-boundary organisation from its roots in the Victorian-era expansion of the merchant fleet and the moves to raise the status and professionalism of its seafarers. It tells how successive unions have sought to overcome such seemingly perennial problems as piracy, criminalisation, substandard ships, excessive working hours and the threat of being replaced by low-cost crews – not to mention the battle against government indifference and public ignorance of an industry that is essential for an island nation. From the formation, in 1857, of the Mercantile Marine Service Association (MMSA) – the foundation stone in the building of today’s union – the book explains the remarkable ways in which the union has adapted and developed to meet the changing and complex challenges faced by members. From the provision of specialist welfare services and a global network of legal support to its leading role in the development of the international ‘bill of rights’ for seafarers, the union and its forerunners have been at the cutting edge of cradle- to-grave support for members. Pulling Together also describes the way in which the union has helped to produce trail-blazing systems of structure and organisation to represent members against the backdrop of a volatile ‘boom and bust’ industry, often in the face of intense shipowner hostility. Helping to build national negotiating machinery in one of the most open markets of all industries, the union and its predecessors have worked across borders to create a united response to the global challenges they face. With the shipping industry now entering its fourth industrial revolution, this book shows how Nautilus can draw from more than 160 years of history to continue the fight for a fair future for its members.

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Book SynopsisIn the 1980s there was a surge of trade union power on a scale not previously experienced in South Africa. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) was a highly prominent and innovative union in this assertion of muscle and one of Cosatu's most radical affiliates, and its story is one of astonishing achievements as its activities built workers' rights and deeply eroded the apartheid state. Metal that will not bend - a translation of the union's motto Insimbi ayigobi - tells that story by revisiting the formation of the powerful modern day union movement. The trade union movement kept the internal struggle alive in the late 1980s when community organisations in the United Democratic Front (UDF) had been smashed. Many books have been published on the ANCs struggle for liberation. However, this critical aspect of internal mass mobilisation, which put pressure on the apartheid state through huge stayaways and which relied almost entirely on the organisation of Cosatu and its strong affiliates, has generally not been adequately explored. Metal that will not bend traces the themes of power, independence and workers' control as they were practiced by Numsa. A number of small metal organisations with at times antagonistic organisational and political strategies were built in different ways and with different attitudes to the exiled liberation movements in the early 1980s. They eventually unified into one powerful organisation. Kally Forrest describes how workers' struggles built this power, and she scrutinises the strategies used in the late 1980s, such as innovative bargaining strategies, to significantly improve the conditions of impoverished workers. The book then progresses to examine how Numsa used its power in an attempt to insert a workers' perspective into the political transition of the early 1990s. It explores the obstacles the union faced, such as the violence that erupted across the country, and its commonality and divergence from the politics of the liberation movements (chiefly the ANC).Table of ContentsBuilding local power: 1970s; power through numbers: 1980-1985; power in unity: 1980-1987; breaking the apartheid mould: 1980-1982; worker action fans out: 1980-1984; melding institutional, campaign and bureaucratic power: 1983-1990; conquest of Metal Industrial Council: 1987-1988; auto workers take power: 1982-1989; auto takes on the industry: 1990-1992; new directions: 1988-1991l defeat of Mawu strategy: 1990-1992; towards a new industry: 1993; the Cinderella sector: 1983-1990; applying vision in auto and motor: 1990-1995; applying vision in engineering: 1994-1995; independent worker movement: 1980-1986; beginnings of alliance politics: 1984-1986; weakening the socialist impulse: Civil war in Natal 1987-1994; Civil war in Transvaal: 1989-1994; new politics: 1987-1990; disinvestment: Pragmatic politics 1985-1989; compromising on socialism: Legacy of the Alliance 1989-1995.

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Book SynopsisWho were the women who fought back at Grunwick and Gate Gourmet? Striking Women gives a voice to the women involved as they discuss their lives, their work and their trade unions. Striking Women is centred on two industrial disputes, the famous Grunwick strike (1976-78) and the Gate Gourmet dispute that erupted in 2005. Focusing on these two events, the book explores the nature of South Asian women’s contribution to the struggles for workers’ rights in the UK labour market. The authors examine histories of migration and settlement of two different groups of women of South Asian origin, and how this history, their gendered, classed and racialised inclusion in the labour market, the context of industrial relations in the UK in the two periods and the nature of the trade union movement shaped the trajectories and the outcomes of the two disputes. This is the first account based on the voices of the women involved. Drawing on life/work history interviews with thirty-two women who participated in the two disputes, as well as interviews with trade union officials, archival material and employment tribunal proceedings, the authors explore the motivations, experiences and implications of these events for their political and social identities.Table of Contents1. Striking women from Grunwick to Gate Gourmet 2. Beyond the stereotypes: South Asian women workers 3. Histories of migration and settlement in the UK 4. Everyday accounts of resilience, struggle and resistance in a gendered and racialised labour market 5. `We are the lions, Mr Manager’: The Grunwick dispute 6. `You have to fight for your right … no one gives it to you on a plate’: The Gate Gourmet dispute 7. Minority women and unionisation in a changing economy – where are we now? Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWho were the women who fought back at Grunwick and Gate Gourmet? Striking Women gives a voice to the women involved as they discuss their lives, their work and their trade unions. Striking Women is centred on two industrial disputes, the famous Grunwick strike (1976-78) and the Gate Gourmet dispute that erupted in 2005. Focusing on these two events, the book explores the nature of South Asian women’s contribution to the struggles for workers’ rights in the UK labour market. The authors examine histories of migration and settlement of two different groups of women of South Asian origin, and how this history, their gendered, classed and racialised inclusion in the labour market, the context of industrial relations in the UK in the two periods and the nature of the trade union movement shaped the trajectories and the outcomes of the two disputes. This is the first account based on the voices of the women involved. Drawing on life/work history interviews with thirty-two women who participated in the two disputes, as well as interviews with trade union officials, archival material and employment tribunal proceedings, the authors explore the motivations, experiences and implications of these events for their political and social identities.Table of Contents1. Striking women from Grunwick to Gate Gourmet 2. Beyond the stereotypes: South Asian women workers 3. Histories of migration and settlement in the UK 4. Everyday accounts of resilience, struggle and resistance in a gendered and racialised labour market 5. `We are the lions, Mr Manager’: The Grunwick dispute 6. `You have to fight for your right … no one gives it to you on a plate’: The Gate Gourmet dispute 7. Minority women and unionisation in a changing economy – where are we now? Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to early Danish trade unionism 1870-1940. Before the Second World War Danish workers were among the best organized in Europe. It is the high level of unionisation which makes Danish trade unionism 1870-1940 an interesting case, in particular the high level of unionisation of unskilled workers, male and female, in a trade union movement based on the craft-principle. In this book key issues of Danish trade unions before 1940 have been examined in order to understand and explain this particular case of successful trade unionism in Europe before 1940. In eight chapters the book examines the organisational structures of Danish trade unions, Scandinavian and international cooperation, the dominance of skill, agitation and ideology of trade unionism, the impact of strikes and industrial conflicts, trade unions and politics, womens work and identities and the work and organisation of unskilled workers -- thereby seeking to explain the success of Danish trade unionism before 1940.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“In this most significant contemporary study of Indonesian trade unions and the broader working class, Max Lane provides a concise and informed examination of the practical and ideological challenges of incipient labour organizations engaged in political and popular struggles in an underdeveloped nation. This detailed and highly informative book evokes similar historical and comparative struggles of exploited workers worldwide and is indispensable for students of labour movements in the Global South.” - Immanuel Ness, Professor of Political Science, City University of New York, author of Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class“Given the potential importance of Indonesian trade unions and labour politics, and the shortage of general analyses of the complicated issues and conflicts, as well as the myriad of groups, this historical overview of the radical efforts in particular is most welcome and useful. Unavoidably, there is a focus on certain issues and explanatory factors. But one does not have to agree on all of them to benefit from Lane’s insightful accounts and analyses.” - Olle Törnquist, Professor of Political Science and Development Research, University of Oslo“It is impossible to understand the dynamics of trade union politics in Indonesia without an appreciation of the historical legacies of the New Order and its authoritarian controls over labour as well as the labour radicalism that emerged as a reaction to it. In this important study, Max Lane provides a sharp and detailed analysis of the impact of both legacies upon contemporary trade unions, the ongoing tensions between them, and possible future trajectories.” - Ian Wilson, Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University

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