The divergent narratives and strategies of unions in times of social-ecological crises: fracking and the UK energy sector

Abstract

The issue of fracking highlights the variability of trade union approaches to the environment in the UK energy sector, as reflected in their narratives and strategic organising orientations. Stories alone cannot change the material interests underlying complex societal conflicts, yet transformative policies on the climate crisis cannot emerge without a coherent story about the environmental crises and possible solutions. This article uses unions’ positions on fracking as a proxy for opposing/supporting/hedging against climate action to see how divergent positions amongst the UK’s three biggest unions in the energy sector (UNISON, Unite and GMB) and the TUC are reinforced or challenged by internal union narratives and strategic foci. Drawing on four in-depth expert interviews and 148 union documents, the main union narratives and strategies are analysed and clustered. The article’s key insight is that unions’ specific narratives differ depending on a union’s orientation. Pro-fracking unions address the short-term immediate financial and material concerns of members and hence promote business partnerships, while anti-fracking unions develop broad-based grass-roots alliances to address the climate crisis. The key entry point for transformative coalitions lies in promoting a coherent and positive narrative about transformative change, in line with scientific evidence.

Slowing the treadmill for a good life for All? German trade union narratives and social-ecological transformation

“…These difficulties mean that unions have followed different approaches to dealing with the multiple crises of society. Some have sided with business and the common sense of the treadmill against the environment, others have tried to compromise and support technological-fix solutions without addressing the treadmill, to avoid conflict, and a few have challenged the environmental crises head-on and opted for a social movement framing that sees workers as citizens with wider societal responsibilities (Hampton, 2015;Kreinin, 2020Kreinin, , 2021.…”

“…Few unions have taken a so-called class-/society-or social-ecological-transformationoriented position on the environmental crisesthe only position to challenge the treadmill and the causes of the environmental crises (Hampton, 2015;Kreinin, 2020Kreinin, , 2021Räthzel and Uzzell, 2011;Stevis and Felli, 2015). Although ver.di, and to some extent IG Metall, can be considered a society-/class-focused union in Hyman's (2001) typology, this has not directly translated into a society focus when it comes to the environment.…”

“…Challenging the treadmill will require non-elites to take direct or indirect political action as workers and citizens – not consumers (Gould et al ., 2004: 303). Crucially, however, for this to be possible, a new positive shared vision of TGL beyond overconsumption – a “solidary mode of living” (Brand and Wissen, 2021) – is necessary (Kreinin, 2021). Therefore, rather than individualising responsibility for unsustainable consumption patterns, the question is rather how modes of living could be altered through societal imaginaries.…”

“…Worker interests, on the other hand, have been displaced and marginalised due to (threats of) offshoring, the highly energy-and-materials-intensive replacement of human labour with technology, and the decline of the trade union movement due to assaults by capital and the state in the service of capital (Eversberg, 2019; Gould et al ., 2004). The declining position of organised labour in the treadmill has overwhelmed unions with short-term crises and direct material challenges to workers’ welfare, making it difficult to focus on long-term crises and to politicise the environmental crises (Kreinin, 2021). Another complication for union environmentalism has been societally accepted narratives of climate delay.…”

Just Transition - A Global Perspective

“…In order to avoid increasing social inequality and deprivation, as well as sharply rising regional disparities that could accompany any transformation(s) towards greater sustainability, trade unions have developed ideas on how a 'just transition' to a low-carbon economy could take place, as there is a growing recognition within the labour movement that addressing the environmental crises requires deep changes (Galgóczi 2020). However, unions have historically also varied in their positions on issues around just transition, as, in particular, unions representing carbon-intensive industries have prioritised job security and expressed concerns about rapid change (Keil/Kreinin 2022;Kreinin 2021).…”