Processes of neoliberal globalization have put national trade unions under pressure as the transnational organization of production puts these labour movements in competition with each other. The global economic crisis has intensified these pressures further. And yet, economic and political integration processes have also provided workers with new possibilities to organize resistance. Emphasizing the importance of agency, this book analyzes transnational labour action in times of crisis, historically and now. It draws on a variety of fascinating cases, across formal and informal collectives, in order to clarify which factors facilitate or block the formation of solidarity. Moving beyond empirical description of cases to an informed understanding of collective action across borders, the volume provides an insightful theorization of transnational action.
Introduction: The Structuring Conditions of the Global Economy and Possibilities of Agency, Andreas Bieler, Roland Erne, Darragh Golden, Idar Helle, Knut Kjeldstadli, Tiago Matos and Sabina Stan / Part I: Class Formation / 1. The Crisis of the World's Old Labour Movements, Marcel van der Linden / 2. Farewell to Europe's Working Classes: Welcome the Making of the European Working Class?, Ingo Schmidt / 3. Free Trade and Transnational Labour Solidarity: Structural and Agential Challenges for the 21st Century, Andreas Bieler / 4. Mass Strikes in Brazil, South Africa and India after 2008 - Separate Battles, but a United Struggle?, Joerg Nowak / Part II. Transnational Action - Past and Present / 5. Trade Union Internationalism and European integration: A Critical Evaluation, Darragh Golden / 6. A Closed Nation or an Open Working Class? When do Unions Opt for Including Labour Migrants?, Knut Kjeldstadli / 7. A Pyrrhic Victory? A Case of National Unions and Immigrant Workers Returned, Tiago Matos / Part III. Power and Strategy / 8. Labour after Globalisation: Old and New Sources of Power, Eddie Webster / 9. Power, Labour and Globalisation: How Context-Appropriate Strategies Help Transnational Labour Alliances Succeed, Marissa Brookes / 10. Governance Struggles and Worker Power: The New Spirit of Labour Transnationalism, Jamie K. McCallum / 11. What Role Can Trade Union Education Play in Enhancing Transnational Labour Solidarity?, Bianca Foehrer / Part IV. Varieties of Internationalism / 12. Pathways of Influence: Transnational Activism and Labour Rights in China, Sabrina Zajak / 13. Labour in the Era of Transnational Migration, What Prospects for International Solidarity, Jenny Jungehulsing / 14. Towards a 'Cosmopolitan' Labour Movement? Managerial and Mobilising Dynamics in International Trade Unionism, Charles Umney / Conclusion: Questions for the Future: Towards an Analytical Framework, Knut Kjeldstadli, Andreas Bieler, Roland Erne, Darragh Golden, Idar Helle, Tiago Matos and Sabina Stan
