Ioannou, G. orcid.org/0000-0003-3837-4721 (2020) The communicative power of trade unionism : labour law, political opportunity structure and social movement strategy. Industrielle Beziehungen, 27 (3-2020). pp. 286-309. ISSN 0943-2779
Abstract
This article argues that more emphasis should be paid to the communicative power of trade unionism because it may constitute a starting point or a privileged standpoint which a trade union may use to counter its weakness regarding its other sources of power. Reviewing the trade union revitalisation literature, it is argued that social movement theory in general and especially ?political opportunity structure?, can complement and enrich the power resources approach which is a useful tool in the analysis of trade union action. The case study of a weak trade union winning a strike largely as a result of its successful utilisation of its communicative power is presented where the public communication of the two sides to the conflict is subjected to content and discourse analysis. The article argues that trade unions can enhance their position through the adaptation of social movement strategy and campaign tactics into trade union activity because social movements are more accustomed to orienting their action in the public sphere. In this effort trade unions may draw upon the more explicitly normative and substantive dimension of labour law as a resource to legitimise and garner support for the unions? objectives framing in a more expansive manner the issues at stake so that a significant section of society can identify with the trade union struggle at hand.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2020 Verlag Barbara Budrich. This is an author-produced version of a paper subsequently published in Industrielle Beziehungen. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | trade unionism; power sources; communication strategy; labour law; strikes |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Management School (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number European Research Council 757395 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 25 Oct 2021 08:52 |
Last Modified: | 25 Oct 2021 08:52 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Budrich Journals |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.3224/indbez.v27i3.03 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:179559 |