Cardiff researchers contribute to new book exploring union renewal

A new book highlights how unions can adapt to modern challenges through innovative experimentation.

Experimenting for Union Renewal includes contributions from Cardiff Business School researchers and colleagues from the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD), who share insights on strengthening union resilience worldwide.

Drawing on in-depth analysis of cases of union innovation in a broad selection of countries and industries, researchers report on and draw lessons from these renewal initiatives. Aggregating these experiments enables identification of a number of rich, cross-disciplinary findings to support such initiatives.

Initial chapters set out the approach and provide an overview of the eighteen case studies. Subsequent sections group the cases thematically: contending with neoliberalism, the fissured gig economy, value chain initiatives between South and North, an expanding trade union agenda, pursuing innovations in union repertoires and methods, and developing new forms of inclusion and solidarity.

The case studies cover a wide geographical spread, from emerging economies in Africa, Asia and Latin America, to cases in Europe, North America and Australia.

Cardiff Business School’s Marco Hauptmeier and Leon Gooberman contributed a chapter titled ‘Building bridges: forming a union coalition to improve working conditions for agricultural workers in Wales.’ Their research explores the establishment of the bipartite Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales, a panel designed to enhance employment relations and working conditions for agricultural workers.

A chapter from WISERD researchers Jean Jenkins, Helen Blakely, Rhys Davies, and Katy Huxley, is titled ‘The quest for cleaner clothes: using more systematic data collection to promote worker organising and advocacy in the international garment sector.’ The team highlights two cases of experimentation designed to improve working conditions at sites in the international garment sector.

The book’s final chapter draws out the practical strategies unions need to develop for effective experimentation and adaptation, highlighting that while unions’ core mission of improving working conditions remains vital, experimentation can expand their capacities for resilience and growth.

A printed version of the book can be purchased from the European Trade Union Institute website where the entire manuscript and all the individual chapters are also free to download.