Mobilizing Protest: Insights from Two Factory Closures

Abstract

This article draws on investigations of worker response to two factory closures to develop recent discussions around mobilization theory. With many shared characteristics between the factories, both located in the garment manufacturing sector, and with similar workforces and union organization, certain key distinguishing features between the two provide insights into why worker protest became effectively mobilized and sustained in one case but failed to materialize in the other. The findings point to the value of assigning greater weight in studies of worker mobilization to the impact of prior existing social structures within a population, and the interaction between that population, its leaders and wider society.

Breaking Fragmentation through Mobilization: The Development of a Collective Identity during Movistar’s Contractors’ and Technicians’ Strike in Spain

“…The key issue in this debate, as pointed out by Simms (2012), concerns the fact that unions (in the British context, in her analysis, but this can be cautiously identified in other contexts) have tended to emphasize workplace solidarities and to represent a narrow set of interests, therefore missing the opportunity to emphasize solidarity that unites different groups of workers in different workplaces. Furthermore, scholars have emphasized that collective action needs to be analysed as an ongoing protest, including understandings of the start of the mobilization but also of the dynamics and processes of the strike (Blyton and Jenkins, 2013). Likewise, McBride et al (2013) have highlighted the importance of the work of running the strike (campaigning, meeting, mobilization, etc.)…”

The Moral Economy of Solidarity: A Longitudinal Study of Special Needs Teachers

“…Leaders, broadly defined as activists, workplace union representatives or union officers at local and national level are key to this process, as they frame and link individual perceptions of injustice to a cause arising from the inequalities structured within the employment relationship, while promoting a plausible solution and convincing workers of the benefits of collective organisation and solidaristic actions to fight for the cause (Kelly, 1998: 127). Kelly’s work has been influential for studies of contemporary workers and has brought the moral value of (in)justice to the fore (see also Blyton and Jenkins, 2013; Gall, 2018). However, there is a neglect of the central role of moral evaluations that are shared between workers in the daily labour process and inform the building and maintaining of solidarity that aims to mediate, resist and possibly transform injustice at work through informal and formal actions and relationships.…”

Taxis for neoliberalism! Surveillance and resistance in post-industrial Philadelphia

“…However, Aguiar and Ryan (2009) argue that the model has potential because it is open to interpretation and flexible despite challenges and contradictions. Blyton and Jenkins (2013), in their comparison of opposition efforts in two similar factory closures, assert that effective mobilization is possible but, to be sustained, the opposition must have broad social support within the local community. However, as seen in the case study discussed below, garnering this broader support can be difficult when workers must contend with a sustained campaign of negative portrayals.…”