Trade Union Responses to Immigrants and Ethnic Inequality in Denmark and the UK: the Context of Consensus and Conflict

Abstract

This article uses interviews with trade union activists in the UK and Denmark to explore union policies towards immigrant and ethnic minority members in each country. Danish policies emphasize education, communication, and awareness-raising, while the British focus on the structures of racism and exclusion, and the need for anti-discrimination and positive action policies. The article suggests that the contrast between the consensus and conflict frames of reference, and the quality of the national political discourse are factors which aid our understanding of these national differences.

Trade Union Perspectives on Diversity Management: A Comparison of the UK and Denmark

“…A far higher proportion of immigrants and ethnic minorities in Denmark have a Muslim religious background than in the UK; in wider societal discourse, the word 'immigrant' becomes almost interchangeable with 'Muslim', bringing with it a corresponding range of prejudices and negative stereotypes, including a popular construction of minority ethnic groups as oppressive to women and a threat to gender equality (Wren, 2001). This causes resistance to 'multiculturalism', whereas in Britain the idea of a multicultural society is less controversial (Wrench, 2004a).…”

“…The main focus has been on 'integration', with an emphasis on education and training courses for immigrants themselves, and on counselling and advice measures. When barriers to equality have been recognized in the attitudes and practices of employers or union members, solutions have typically been sought in campaigns of information and persuasion (Wrench, 2004a). Changes to union structures and policies, such as positive action or reserved places on union committees for ethnic minorities, are still rare or unknown.…”

Organizing Capacities and Union Priorities in the Hotel sector in Oslo, Dublin, and Toronto

“…A high unionization rate in relatively large and coherent workplaces (industrial and public sector) has traditionally been based on a homogeneous social base (white male industrial workers and female public sector workers) which created a shared sense of identity. The orientation toward compromise and social partnership with employers and the state in Nordic industrial relations stands in contrast to more confrontational labor experiences in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom (Hudson 2001;Thelen 2001;Wrench 2004). Moreover, access to income from the offshore oil industry has prevented Norwegian labor from making substantial concessions during the recent financial turmoil.…”

Still no problem here? Responses to anti-discrimination legislation among trade unions in EU countries

“…Between 2003 and 2005, the EU-funded RITU project on the role of trade unions in combating discrimination and xenophobia interviewed trade union officials, activists and members in five countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy and the UK (ETUI, 2007). Research on trade unions and migrant worker issues has compared Denmark with the UK (Wrench, 2004) and Italy with the Netherlands (Marino and Roosblad, 2008). There have been two studies on trade union responses to migration issues specifically in the context of the free movement of labour in an enlarged EU: Krings (2009) comparing unions in Austria, Germany, Ireland and the UK, and Meardi (2012) comparing unions in Austria, Germany, Poland and the UK.…”