The role of community organisations in the collective mobilisation of migrant workers: The importance of a ‘community’-oriented perspective

In examining the collective mobilisation of migrant workers, scholars have ex-plored the emergence of community organisations as alternative forms of worker representation. However, community unionism scholars tend to adopt a union-centric perspective, which leaves unexplored the complex nature of community organisations. We argue that it is important to adopt a ‘community’-oriented perspective. Such a perspective allows us to explore varied capacity for collective actions and different forms of identity framing across community organisations. We argue that these can affect the union-community relationship and organising outcomes. By comparing ethnographic case studies of the role of two community organisations vis-à-vis the collective mobilisation of migrant workers, we conclude that community organisations which focus on participa-tory internal relations , and which frame collective identities (including class) in an intersectional way are more likely to have reciprocal relationships with trade unions and contribute to collective mobilisation.