Theoretical and empirical links between trade unions and democracy

Abstract

This special issue wants to honour the memory of Giulio Regeni, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge who was assassinated while he was conducting field research on independent trade unions in Egypt. This introduction and the following articles focus on the theoretical, empirical and methodological questions at the core of Regeni's research. Unions have traditionally been regarded as crucial for representing the interests of the working class as a whole and for building and sustaining industrial and political democracy; however, there is a debate about the conditions under which unions can be effective, and the role of unions' internal democracy is particularly controversial. The article discusses the theoretical linkages between trade unions, democratization and union democracy and concludes with a reflection on the new concerns about the risk of conducting field research on these issues raised by Regeni's death.

Not so exceptional? Prosocial influences on union support among US workers

“…Worker support for unions is also support for industrial democracy and a more democratic society. These results underscore and extend linkages that scholars have long asserted between union democracy, industrial democracy, and democracy in society at large (Baccaro et al, 2019; Gumbrell-McCormick and Hyman, 2019; Sojourner, 2013) as well as linkages between union democracy and union effectiveness: ‘[U]nion democracy is . .…”

“…A recent study found that workers are interested in having a ‘voice’ in workplace matters both personal (e.g., safety, respect, and protection from harassment and discrimination) and organizational (e.g., technology use and organizational values) and that they look to unions as a vehicle for expressing this voice (Kochan et al, 2019: 16). While that analysis centered on workers’ desire to have a say in their workplace, scholars have also pointed to how union democracy is essential for union effectiveness, legitimacy, mobilization, and workplace democracy (e.g., Baccaro et al, 2019; Gall and Fiorito, 2016: 192–193). As Gumbrell-McCormick and Hyman (2019: 105) observed, ‘If it is impossible to involve and empower workers within their own trade unions, it is scarcely plausible to suggest that work itself can be democratized, and the legitimacy of unions as a voice for democratization is undermined.’…”

The ‘indie unions’ and the UK labour movement: Towards a community of practice

“…Observation notes were made throughout, and a fieldwork diary was kept for reflections later. Fieldwork in industrial relations research permits the investigation of the often informal side of workers’ organising (Baccaro et al, 2019), which is important as ‘the origins of worker collectivism are typically informal, ephemeral, and with few written records’ (Brown, 2019: 158). This also, importantly for understanding COP, allowed for an appreciation of the situated nature of the community where the learning took place.…”

Worker Voice and Political Participation in Civil Society

“…The historical development of many Western democracies included parallel, reinforcing advances in labor union rights and political rights for workers. Labor unions are thus an integral part of the historical maturation of Western democracies (Ebbinghaus 1995;Baccaro et al 2019). In post-war authoritarian societies, labor unions have often continued this legacy by championing democratic freedoms and serving as independent monitors of government power (Collier and Mahoney 1997;Kraus 2007;Caraway et al 2015).…”