Solidarity against the odds: trade union activism in a hostile environment
Soundings - ISSN 1362-6620
Volume 2022 Number 82
Solidarity against the odds: trade union activism in a hostile environment
Farheen Ahmed in conversation with Kirsten Forkert and David Featherstone, pages 27-46
DOI: 10.3898/SOUN.82.02.2022
Abstract
A discussion on the challenges facing trade union activists in the light of the government’s determination to create a hostile environment for trade unionists as well as people of colour - including the ways in which intersectionalities of race and class play out in the workplace and the labour movement. Topics discussed include: how and why people get involved in unions - and how to maintain their interest in the face of sometimes outdated practices; organising with the United Voices of the World (UVW) and larger trade unions; the relationship between students and university staff/academics in the University and College Lecturers (UCU) strike; migrant justice; cross-sector organising; activism versus bureaucracy; the effects of restrictive legislation on trade union activities, especially for workplaces where the union is not recognised or has limited resources; organising with the most precarious workers; the current increase in activism. There is also discussion of anti-migrant rhetoric within the Labour Party and trade union movement, but also recognition of the many examples of solidarity, including trade union solidarity with the Muhammad Idrish campaign.
To cite this article
Farheen Ahmed (2022) Solidarity against the odds: trade union activism in a hostile environment, Soundings, 2022(82), 27-46. https://doi.org/10.3898/SOUN.82.02.2022