Jo McBride

Mapping worker collectivism some evidence from River Tyne industries in the North East of England

Discussions relating to trade union decline since 1979 have been well rehearsed in the literature. An underlying theme in much of this dialogue is the supposedly corresponding decline of workplace collectivism due to a rise in individualism (Bacon and Storey, 1996; Bassett and Cave, 1993). Others have suggested that there has been a decline in the collective identity of the working class per se due to a rise in consumerism and affluence (Lash and Urry, 1987; Phelps Brown, 1990). However, a major criticism of such assertions is that the notion of collectivism is based upon simplistic dichotomies and stereotyped understandings (Martinez Lucio and Stewart, 1997). A central problem appears to be that the subject of ‘collectivism’ itself is lacking in conceptual and empirical rigour (Kelly, 1998; Metochi, 2002), and to date, any attempts to address this lacuna have been tentatively offered. Of those who have recently attempted to define ‘workplace collectivism’ (for example, Black et al. 1999; Metochi, 2002), Stephenson and Stewart’s (2001) intervention is possibly most valuable, for they argue that the current debates surrounding ‘collectivism’ use indicators overly associated with the idea of conflict and resistance. They claim that much of the debate does not adequately engage with the problem of collectivism in its various forms, and offer three typologies of collectivism related to work. The purpose of this research note is to provide a contribution to these recent studies through presenting empirical evidence of different forms of collectivism from a wider study of the Tyneside Maritime Construction Industry (TMCI) and to encourage debate on the nature of workplace collectivism.

Dimensions of collectivism: occupation, community and the increasing role of memory and personal dynamics in the debate

This essay argues that the notion of there being a decline in collectivism does not adequately engage with a whole new set of initiatives within labour process theory on collectivism in its various forms. These debates demonstrate how diverse social influences and experiences, and the memory of previous experiences and collective endeavours, are essential features that must be acknowledged in terms of their implications. There are series of interventions on occupational identity, the everyday lives of workers, gender and ethnic relations and the experience of work that nourish our understanding of collectivism as a more complex and broader concept. Furthermore, how features and relations are mobilized, linked and developed is becoming a vital feature of how collectivism should be understood. It is argued that the nature of these relations needs to be a greater focus of the debate if we are to develop a more dynamic view of collectivism, and a more relevant one.

Trade union learning strategies and migrant workers: policies and practice in a new-liberal environment

This paper examines trade union networking and community-oriented activity through the recent development of learning strategies in relation to migrant workers. The paper locates the discussion on learning in relation to union attempts to develop a broader urban and community-based view of the union as an organisation. It assesses the innovative ways trade unions deploy their learning strategies given the challenges associated with a liberal market economy, in particular, in relation to poor levels of co-ordination amongst key social organisations and low levels of state commitment to the area of training. The paper draws on five empirical case studies of such innovative union approaches and concludes that many of these learning initiatives represent a significant intervention by unions in local urban and community-based contexts. However, it also notes that these appear to be disconnected from stable and consistent forms of local community-based organisation and, in part, remain enveloped in a marketised project-based approach which is piecemeal and in many aspects financially dependent on the state.

Can sectionalism be good for solidarity? Some evidence from the maritime construction industry on Tyneside

Sectionalism has historically been viewed as negative in that it isolates workers from a shared sense of a collective identity thereby weakening solidarity. This paper considers the alternative argument that sectionalism can be good for solidarity. It does this by measuring the collective identity of the workforce in the Tyneside Maritime Construction Industry (TMCI) using mobilization theory as a tool for measurement. It discovers that the collective identity does not necessarily develop in one setting but can develop in different stages and at different levels. It also finds that workers may have an association with different collective identities and therefore, the collective identity may take different forms. The collective identity can also divide as well as unite, which implies ‘solidarity within sectionalism’, and in turn it is argued that this brings positivity to the TMCI workforce’s shared collective identity.

Green Shoots from the Grass Roots? The National Shop Stewards Network

This paper presents an analysis of the significance of the Internet in rebuilding a shop stewards movement in a time of circumscribed trade union organisation and power. It takes the National Shop Stewards Network as the focus for empirical research and places the argument within the broader context of two historical periods of trade union activity. The study finds significant historical parallels in terms of the key questions of the relationship between a network and a movement and the virtual and real worlds. It suggests that the Internet is particularly significant in forging horizontal rather than vertical links between shop stewards and unions and also provides the potential for mutual support and solidarity. However, the empirical research suggests different levels of engagement with the network, which the paper categorises and it also illustrates how a political party can become engaged in the networking activity.

‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK:

Set in the context of the recent unprecedented upsurge of in-work poverty (IWP) in the UK – which currently exceeds out of work poverty – this article presents an account of the realities of experiencing poverty and being employed. Central issues of low-pay, limited working hours, underemployment and constrained employment opportunities combine to generate severe financial complexities and challenges. This testimony, taken comparatively over a year, reveals the experiences of, not only IWP, but of deep poverty, and of having insufficient wages to fulfil the basic essentials of nourishing food and adequate clothing. This article contributes to current academic and social policy debates around low-paid work, IWP, the use of foodbanks and underemployment. New dimensions are offered regarding worker vulnerabilities, given the recent growth of the IWP phenomenon.

Disaggregating and reaggregating work: Workers, management and the struggle over creating coherency and purpose in a context of work degradation

The article argues that whilst there is a growing sense of degradation and worsening conditions (disaggregation) of work in the cleaning sector in general, there are some important contradictions which require complex organisational responses. In the main, there is a growing sense of isolation in this work, yet also a growing perception of autonomy and workers having to use discretion in new and challenging ways. This article focuses on these issues and management responses to reaggregate the nature of such work, creating new forms of identity and activities intended to enhance (or address) the levels of stability and sustainability at work as well as in operational processes. This management conundrum means that they need to deal with a range of job-related, skill-oriented worker learning and also representation issues. These responses bring to the fore the contested nature of such forms of work and how they are changing.