Radical Unions in Europe and the Future of Collective Interest Representation

Citing trade unionism as a mainstay of European economic and political history since the sixteenth century, Connolly, Kretsos, Phelan and their contributors analyze current trends in radical unionism in Europe. With an upsurge in trade union activism across Europe since the economic crisis of 2008, the traditions of the past two centuries of trade unionism—promoting participatory democracy and social justice—continue to be the dominant voice for a more equitable distribution of wealth, notwithstanding the decline in membership over recent decades. There are 11 essays: the future of European unions: radical prospects?; towards radical political unionism?; trade union radicalism in France: the renewal of radicalism in the context of crisis and austerity?; Britain: striking unionism with a political cutting edge; the independent workers’ union: class, nation, and oppositional labour movements in Ireland from 1900 to the Celtic Tiger; radical trade unionism in Spain: the re-invention and re-imagination of autonomy and democracy within and around the union movement during the past century; radical unionism in Italy—back to the future: FIOM and chainworkers; the wind of austerity in the sails of radicalism: the Greek example; radical trade unionism in Portugal: between maximalist vanguardism and ongoing radicalisation; radical trade unions in Poland: the meanings and mechanisms of union radicalisation in a post-socialist capitalism; Hungarian unions: toward assuming political roles. There are notes on contributors, references, and tables. Annotation c2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)

Heather Connolly is Senior Lecturer in the Department of HRM at Leicester Business School, De Montfort University.
Lefteris Kretsos is Senior Lecturer of Employment Relations and HRM and an active member of the Workplace Employment Research Unit (WERU) at the University of Greenwich.
Craig Phelan is Professor of Modern History at Kingston University London and editor of the journal Labor History.