Triggering solidarity actions towards contingent workers and the unemployed: the point of view of grassroots trade unionists and labour activists

• Christina Karakioulafis ^[1] ; Kostas Kanellopoulos ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Crete

     University of Crete

     Dimos Heraklion, Grecia

     
• Localización: Partecipazione e conflitto, ISSN-e 2035-6609, Vol. 11, Nº. 1, 2018 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Socio-political Responses during Recessionary Times in Greece), págs. 121-144
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Since the 1980s, trade unions have suffered a decrease in membership, public legitimacy and the capacity to achieve their core objectives. Renewal strategies have varied, depending on the national context. Part of them focused on rank-and-file mobilization and social movement unionism. In the Greek context, the academic discussion about the crisis of trade unions took place mainly during the 2000s, but without having an impact within union circles or on union strategies. Additionally, grassroots and rankand-file unions that adopted a social movement and radical unionism approach, and contested the ‘institutionalized official’ trade unions, remained marginal and their actions were not very visible. The recent fiscal crisis and the implementation of the Memoranda brought up previous dysfunctions. In a context of increasing employment precarity and unemployment, the general position of official trade unions towards contingent workers and the unemployed has been strongly contested, while grassroots rank-and-file unions claim a more active role in this area. Given the above considerations, this article focuses on the strategies of trade unions towards contingent workers and the unemployed, in the Greek context. Results derive from interviews with Greek grassroots trade unionists and labour activists in the framework of the TransSOL (Transnational Solidarity at Times of Crisis) EU-funded program