Union formation and worker resistance in a multinational: A personal account of an Asian cabin crew member in UK civil aviation

Abstract

This article presents a first-hand account and afterword by 'Susan Wong' on the formation of an Asian cabin crew trade union and the nine-year period of resistance in response to imposed changes to employment terms and conditions by the management of a UK multinational airline. The main issue was an imposed premature retirement age compared to UK-based colleagues. Opposition occurred in the UK courts, to identify the correct employment jurisdiction and then cite both age and race discrimination. The workers' victory over the company, which had similar plans for other overseas workers, demonstrates union efficacy and Susan's determination and resilience. The narrative enhances the understanding of the micro-processes of mobilization, the nature of discrimination and identity, and the lived experience of combining cabin crew work with union activism.

‘We Were the Ones Really Doing Something About It’: Gender and Mobilisation against Factory Closure

“…The narratives of female workers' active resistance to closure and relocation remain marginalised. It is hoped that this discussion can contribute to the important arguments of Byford andWong (2016: 1032) that 'a determination to pursue justice can be worthwhile, even in the context of globalized capitalism'. This research on the Lee Jeans occupation is a significant contribution in this area, highlighting a successful campaign against factory closure by a female workforce.…”

Putting employees at the centre of sustainable HRM: a review, map and research agenda

“…In terms of gender, trade unions play a key role in narrowing gender pay gaps (McGuinness et al, 2011), lowering wage discrimination (Triventi, 2013), leading on equal pay litigation (Guillaume, 2015) and supporting employees facing domestic violence (Wibberley et al, 2018). Research further indicates how trade unions question employer practices concerning the imposition of compulsory retirement ages (Byford and Wong, 2016). Trade unions increasingly represent and organise EU migrant workers (James and Karmowska, 2012), hyper-mobile migrants (Bernsten and Lillie, 2014) and contingent employees (MacKenzie, 2010), all of which are widely recognised as unsustainable forms of employment, yet typically off the radar of mainstream HRM practice.…”

Perspectives on hospitality industry trade unionism in the UK and beyond

“…It is perhaps worth noting that across the tourism sector, most contemporary, and indeed critical, studies of trade unionism have been produced by scholars working in the mainstream of industrial relations and human resource management and published in correspondingly specialist journals rather than journals dealing with travel, tourism, hospitality and services in general (e.g. Blyton et al, 2001;Byford & Wong, 2016;Curley & Royle, 2013;Royle, 2002a;2002b;2006;Taylor & Moore, 2015; but see also Bashir &Nasir, 2013, andPuczkó &Rátz, 2011). An exception to this is an emerging strand of "critical hospitality studies", but as yet the literature is limited in quantity (e.g.…”