The response of unions to the rise of precarious work in Britain

an article by Chris F Wright (Macquarie University, Australia) published in The Economic and Labour Relations Review Volume 24 Number 3 (September 2013)

Abstract

There has been significant growth of precarious work in Britain over the past three decades. This article examines the strategies adopted by unions to counteract this trend.

It uses Weil’s ‘strategic choice framework’ to assess the attempts of the Trades Union Congress to encourage affiliates to adopt innovative ways of reaching precarious workers and examines the extent to which these strategies have been implemented. Unfavourable external shifts have placed greater pressure on unions to develop appropriate internal strategies and structures to strengthen their capacity for reaching precarious workers. The Trades Union Congress has encouraged unions to use community unionism strategies to organise precarious workers outside of the workplace and sustainable sourcing strategies to regulate their conditions through procurement mechanisms.

These strategies are relatively effective means of reaching precarious workers in the context of legal constraints on unions and changes in the organisation of work and production. The internal governance structures of the British union movement need to be reformed if these strategies are to be adopted more widely.

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Unions, learning, migrant workers and union revitalization in Britain

an article by Stephen Mustchin (University of Manchester, UK) published in Work Employment & Society Volume 26 Number 6 (December 2012)

Abstract

This article focuses on strategies adopted by British trade unions to promote education to their members and their impact on attempts to organise among migrant workers.

The relationship between this activity and broader debates around union revitalisation is analysed, particularly in terms of how union involvement in learning intersects with broader organising and community focused union activity. A diverse range of approaches to education provision for migrant workers can be identified from this research.

The influence of internal union politics on attempts to organize migrant workers, work in conjunction with state policy and improve access to education among their members is also analysed.

The study highlights a diverse range of outcomes, raising important issues regarding union organising strategies and their relationship to union provision of education for their memberships.

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